Uno strepitoso Dioniso riccioluto su uno statere di Metaponto

[King John]

Salve,  volevo sottoporre alla vostra attenzione questo statere di Metaponto che reca al diritto un strepitoso titratto di tre quarti di Dioniso: la naturalezza della posa, la massa di riccioli che incornicia il leggiadro volto del dio ne fanno, secondo me, un autentico capolavoro. Che ve ne pare??

Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG, Auction 106, lot 157, 9/05/2018

Lucania, Metapontum. Nomos circa 340-330, AR 7.76 g. Laureate head of Apollo, facing three-quarters l.; behind the neck, KAΛ. Rev. ΦΙΛΟΞ Ear of barley with leaf on l., on which coiled snake; to r. [M]ETA. Jameson 290 (these dies). Gulbenkian 70 (these dies). Kunstfreund 180 (these dies). Johnston-Noe A6.6.
Exceedingly rare, only very few specimens known. A portrait of enchanting beauty,
work of a very skilled master-engraver. Wonderful old cabinet tone, minor
areas of weakness, otherwise good very fine
From the A.D.M. collection.
In around 720 B.C. Metapontum was founded in southern Italy by Achaean colonists escaping hard times in the Peloponnesos. In time all of southern Italy came to be known as Magna Graecia (”Greater Greece”) because of the extensive Greek colonization there. Jealous of the fertility of the surrounding region and nursing ethnic hatreds, the Metapontum joined with the neighbouring Achaean cities of Kroton and Sybaris in destroying the Ionian colony of Siris (ca. 550 B.C.), but when conflict arose between these allies, Metapontum did nothing to save Sybaris from destruction at the hands of Kroton in 510 B.C. The city did, however, provide a safe haven for the ascetic philosopher Pythagoras and his followers after they were driven out of Kroton. In the fifth century B.C. Metapontum supported the disastrous Athenian expedition against Syracuse (414-413 B.C.) and resisted attack by Dionysios I of Syracuse, but gradually seems to have fallen into decline. By the fourth century B.C., Metapontum and other neighbouring cities were threatened by the rise of the Italic Lucanians. Although there is no evidence of direct Lucanian attack on Metapontine territory, the menace was serious enough that Metapontum entered into alliance with its long-time rival, Taras, and the Molossian king, Alexander I, with a view to breaking Italic power in 334 B.C. Unfortunately, despite several victories, Alexander was treacherously killed at the Battle of Pandosia (331 B.C.), leaving Metapontum and the other cities of Magna Graecia to face the Italic threat on their own. This stater may have been struck in the context of Metapontum’s alliance with Alexander the Molossian and his wars against the Lucanians and Bruttians. The three-quarter facing depiction of the young Dionysus may be counted among the rarest depictions of the god in Greek numismatics. Unlike other Greek deities, particularly Apollo, Athena, and Arethusa, who are depicted facing from time to time on coins, the facing head format was not popular for representations of Dionysus, and on the rare occasions when he was depicted this way it was almost always the older, bearded form of the god that was used. The youthful aspect and relatively short, curly hair here gives the head the appearance of Apollo, and the type has often been misdescribed as such (e.g., HN Italy 1559; Gulbenkian 70). Only the ivy wreath makes it clear that the god in question is actually Dionysos. The artful and novel image of the wine-god is signed by the artist Kal.., who also engraved dies for other cities of Magna Graecia. The grain ear reverse was the civic badge of Metapontum, alluding to the city’s rich agricultural territory and its involvement in the grain export trade. It had appeared as the emblem of the city on coins already in the sixth century B.C. The unusual width of the reverse flan allows the full reading of name of the magistrate name (ΦΙΛΟΞ).

Modificato 27 Ottobre, 2018 da King John

[King John]

Notate:

[numa numa]

Dioniso non Apollo

come risulta anche dalla descrizione analitica del tipo 

[King John]

17 minuti fa, numa numa dice:

Dioniso non Apollo

come risulta anche dalla descrizione analitica del tipo 

vero.

[King John]

In effetti i riccioli caratterizzano  Dioniso...

Modificato 27 Ottobre, 2018 da King John

[numa numa]

Anche il volto è piu‘ angolare , illuminato da un’aura midterica ,  mentre il volto apollineo e‘ pieno, rotondo perfetto nelle proporzioni e nei lineamenti quasi sempre illuminato da una calma e un‘armonia olimpica tranne in alcuni tetra di Katane ove assume un‘aspetto caratterizzsto da una bellezza eccezionale ma qussi tenebrosa. 

dioniso e‘ stato molto meno rappresentato rispetto ad Apollo

il ritratto sul nomos metapontino e‘ uno dei piu belli conosciuti del dio della vite, del vino e dell‘ebrezza 

Modificato 27 Ottobre, 2018 da numa numa

[skubydu]

Grande difficoltà anche da parte dell incisore per realizzare il conio,  sembra un ritratto..

 

[King John]

e che occhioni poi...

[skubydu]

1 minuto fa, King John dice:

e che occhioni poi...

Moneta spettacolare, 

grazie king per la condivisione

[VALTERI]

In discussione " Un Metaponto da Napoli " a suo tempo ( 14-06-2015 ) era stato proposto l'esemplare di grande qualità e forse di furtiva origine, passato in asta Kunstfreundes nel 1974 .

[numa numa]

Vi fu un catalogo Kunstfreundes con la lista degli aggiudicatari - in vendita un paio di anni or sono - che  riportava chi si era aggiudicato questo pezzo, probabilmente sottratto fraudolentemente al museo di napoli nel dopoguerra. Il catalogo in questione (peraltro non raro nella sua versione normale) fu aggiudicato - guarda caso - ad un prezzo altissimo ( forse dallo stesso acquirente del pezzo in questione ) ? ?

Modificato 30 Ottobre, 2018 da numa numa

[VALTERI]

Dalla rete, aggiungo descrizione e pedigree dell'esemplare Kunstfreundes, del quale è censito un successivo passaggio in Hunt I , 94 .

In tema di assimilabili rappresentazioni, Metaponto ha anche prodotto, pressochè coeva, la bellissima testa frontale  di Demetra ( Triton XXI , 317 ) unita in calce .

[eracle62]

Il 27/10/2018 alle 16:01, King John dice:

Salve,  volevo sottoporre alla vostra attenzione questo statere di Metaponto che reca al diritto un strepitoso titratto di tre quarti di Dioniso: la naturalezza della posa, la massa di riccioli che incornicia il leggiadro volto del dio ne fanno, secondo me, un autentico capolavoro. Che ve ne pare??

Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG, Auction 106, lot 157, 9/05/2018

Lucania, Metapontum. Nomos circa 340-330, AR 7.76 g. Laureate head of Apollo, facing three-quarters l.; behind the neck, KAΛ. Rev. ΦΙΛΟΞ Ear of barley with leaf on l., on which coiled snake; to r. [M]ETA. Jameson 290 (these dies). Gulbenkian 70 (these dies). Kunstfreund 180 (these dies). Johnston-Noe A6.6.
Exceedingly rare, only very few specimens known. A portrait of enchanting beauty,
work of a very skilled master-engraver. Wonderful old cabinet tone, minor
areas of weakness, otherwise good very fine
From the A.D.M. collection.
In around 720 B.C. Metapontum was founded in southern Italy by Achaean colonists escaping hard times in the Peloponnesos. In time all of southern Italy came to be known as Magna Graecia (”Greater Greece”) because of the extensive Greek colonization there. Jealous of the fertility of the surrounding region and nursing ethnic hatreds, the Metapontum joined with the neighbouring Achaean cities of Kroton and Sybaris in destroying the Ionian colony of Siris (ca. 550 B.C.), but when conflict arose between these allies, Metapontum did nothing to save Sybaris from destruction at the hands of Kroton in 510 B.C. The city did, however, provide a safe haven for the ascetic philosopher Pythagoras and his followers after they were driven out of Kroton. In the fifth century B.C. Metapontum supported the disastrous Athenian expedition against Syracuse (414-413 B.C.) and resisted attack by Dionysios I of Syracuse, but gradually seems to have fallen into decline. By the fourth century B.C., Metapontum and other neighbouring cities were threatened by the rise of the Italic Lucanians. Although there is no evidence of direct Lucanian attack on Metapontine territory, the menace was serious enough that Metapontum entered into alliance with its long-time rival, Taras, and the Molossian king, Alexander I, with a view to breaking Italic power in 334 B.C. Unfortunately, despite several victories, Alexander was treacherously killed at the Battle of Pandosia (331 B.C.), leaving Metapontum and the other cities of Magna Graecia to face the Italic threat on their own. This stater may have been struck in the context of Metapontum’s alliance with Alexander the Molossian and his wars against the Lucanians and Bruttians. The three-quarter facing depiction of the young Dionysus may be counted among the rarest depictions of the god in Greek numismatics. Unlike other Greek deities, particularly Apollo, Athena, and Arethusa, who are depicted facing from time to time on coins, the facing head format was not popular for representations of Dionysus, and on the rare occasions when he was depicted this way it was almost always the older, bearded form of the god that was used. The youthful aspect and relatively short, curly hair here gives the head the appearance of Apollo, and the type has often been misdescribed as such (e.g., HN Italy 1559; Gulbenkian 70). Only the ivy wreath makes it clear that the god in question is actually Dionysos. The artful and novel image of the wine-god is signed by the artist Kal.., who also engraved dies for other cities of Magna Graecia. The grain ear reverse was the civic badge of Metapontum, alluding to the city’s rich agricultural territory and its involvement in the grain export trade. It had appeared as the emblem of the city on coins already in the sixth century B.C. The unusual width of the reverse flan allows the full reading of name of the magistrate name (ΦΙΛΟΞ).

E questo????????????

Mi ero perso anche questo, a tre quarti i miei preferiti.

Ritratto a tre quarti su un tondello del IV sec a.c....praticamente si erano già inventato il tutto tondo e la terza dimensione attraverso l'arte incisoria...

Sublime...

[VALTERI]

Aggiungo per @eracle62 una bella testa, questa volta di Apollo, dalla zecca di Alicarnasso .

[danielealberti]

Il 30/10/2018 alle 00:47, VALTERI dice:

Dalla rete, aggiungo descrizione e pedigree dell'esemplare Kunstfreundes, del quale è censito un successivo passaggio in Hunt I , 94 .

In tema di assimilabili rappresentazioni, Metaponto ha anche prodotto, pressochè coeva, la bellissima testa frontale  di Demetra ( Triton XXI , 317 ) unita in calce .

Purtroppo non riesco a farmela piacere, quegli occhi sgranati quasi da civetta, la bocca piccola, il viso rotondo con il collo taurino.....

Il tutto in netto contrasto con la splendida capigliatura.. si tratta di un fattore estetico e la mia affermazione è soggettiva, voi che ne pensate?

[eracle62]

7 ore fa, VALTERI dice:

Aggiungo per @eracle62 una bella testa, questa volta di Apollo, dalla zecca di Alicarnasso .

Sa molto di Apollo questo ritratto secondo me lo impersonifica in pieno..

Chioma un po statica...

Tondello stupendo..

[VALTERI]

La fotografia che aggiungo al diritto del nomos in post 10, è da una piccola copia in avorio dell'Apollo liceo attribuito a Prassitele .