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LOT 0721
Roman Danubian Lead Plaque with Sol Invictus
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (61 grams, 70 mm).
Displaying a figural scene in relief showing the Dioscuri, wearing a crested helmet and raising the right arm in salutation; the bust of Sol wearing a radiate crown and the horned bust of moon surmounted by a crescent, border to the perimeter representing two snakes; the inner border with seven six-pointed stars, a large dolphin-like creature swimming to the right, to the left a group of round objects; to the right of the left hand rider, a three-legged offering table with three candle-sticks; between the sun and the moon a standing female deity dressed in peplos and chiton, facing right with her right arm raised in front of her; behind the moon a bird waddling to left; to the right of the left hand rider, a cockerel; beneath the horse’s hooves two prostrate figures lying face down, head to the right and left, the right figure with the left knee bent in supplication; at the centre, between the two horsemen, a standing female deity in long chiton (Helen of Troy); behind the right horse, a standing male figure facing left with his right hand raised in salutation, wearing a knee length tunica, short boots and a heavy cloak; on the lower margin a small prostrate figure with head to the right, limbs extended, a twin-handled wine cup, a standard surmounted by a lamp, a figure hanging head down from a stunted tree and a lion stalking left. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LiteratureSee Tudor, D., Corpus Monumentorum Religionis Equitum Danuviorum, 2 vols, Leiden, 1969-1976; Rinaldi Tufi, S., 'I cavalieri danubiani e i loro misteri', in I Daci, Catalogue of the exhibition, Milan, 1997, pp.90-91.
FootnotesThe plaque contains a complex iconography of divine figures and symbols, probably associated with Thracian or Dacian beliefs of the Lower Danube region, but also with the Greek myth of the divine twins Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri), an important element of Roman religion since its origins, here mixed with the cult of the Danubian rider. Presiding over the whole scene is usually the Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun-god) and his sister the Moon (Selene).
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
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Roman 'Thames' Bone Gaming Piece and Dice Group
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Roman Green Glass Bracelet
3rd-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
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Roman Bronze Phallic Mask Pendant
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Displaying the face of a bearded god, possibly Cernunnos or Pan, with curly hair and two horns in the shape of phallus; suspension ring to the top. 25.6 grams, 45 mm
Acquired in the 1990s. Ex property of a UK gentleman.
The head displays typical features associated with Romano-Celtic art, such as the lentoid eyes and the schematic rendering of the hair and beard. The head could be that of Pan, god of the wild countryside and of fertility in nature, thus making the phalli-shaped horns appropriate. It could also represent the Celtic god Cernunnos, a Gallic deity whose worship is known from Britain and the Continent from a number of monuments, inscriptions and figurines, as well as on the famous Gundestrup cauldron found in a bog in Denmark. His name means "the Horned One", and is depicted as a bearded male wearing a torc around his neck and with large horns or antlers on his head. Representations of him are known from as early as the fourth century B.C. from the Paspardo rock carving at Val Camonica, Northern Italy. Other representations include the monument set up by Parisian sailors which was discovered underneath Notre Dame cathedral, and the relief carving from Cirencester where his legs are in the form of two snakes. The Celts' preoccupation with fecundity caused them on occasions to represent their male gods with oversized phalli, and a bronze figure of Mercury from Tongres, France, depicts the god with two phalli on his head.
