DOI Artikel:
Shannahan, John: Samarian depictions of the figure in the winged disc
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31074#0033
SAMAR1ANDEP1CT10NS...
TYPE2
AR. Crowned and bearded four-winged deity 1. The figure's torso ends in
a disc, the top of which is obscured. Feathers extend beneath the disc. Two tendrils
extend diagonally below the disc and curl at the tips. Whole in dotted square bor-
der. Rider on horse galloping L, undemeath, uncertain figurę. Obols.
a) 0.72 g CNG Mail Bid 82 (2009) 731. (PI. 1, Figs. 5-6).
b) 0.61 g MESHORER and QEDAR 1999: no. 124.
AR. Unidentihed object (four-winged uraeus?); dotted square border.
Crowned and bearded four-winged deity r. The figurę's torso ends in a disc,
the top of which is obscured. Feathers extend beneath the disc. Whole in dotted
square border. Hemiobol.
^ ANS 2010.77.148;MESHORER, BlJOVSKYandFiSCHER-BOSSERT2013:216, no.
c) 0.19g
DISCUSSION
The figurę in the winged disc was a popular motif in Achaemenid art, associ-
ated with investiture of power and authority in the kingA While there is debate
regarding what exactly the symbol represents, it is universally acknowledged that
it was intimately tied to Achaemenid kingship.-' The most prominent example is
Darius Fs monument at Behistun.^ On that monument, the figurę hovers above
Darius, overlooking the king as he receives homage. But its use was not restricted
to Darius 1. The image is also found throughout Achaemenid palaces. It will fre-
quently appear in entrance ways, again hovering above the royal figurę A Although
the motif rarely appears in Persepolitan glyptic from Darius Fs reign, later ex-
amples have survived.-^ These seals, however, do not always show the winged
disc with a human figurę.^ The winged disc on coins is rarer: it appears on the
Cilician staters of Tiribazus with the human figurę (ca. 386-381), and on a series
ofMazaeus (ca. 360-334).^
2° MARAS 2009.
2' On the debate: see SHAHBAZI 1974; ROOT 1979: 169-171; SHAHBAZI 1980; LECOQ 1984;
JACOBS 1987. Association with kingship: ROOT 1979: 21 lf; SHAHBAZI 1980: 121f; JAMZADEH 1982:
96-98; MARAS 2009: 52-57; GARRISON 2013: 574-576.
^ ROOT 1979: PI. 8; see data inKUHRT 2007: §5.A.l.
^ BRIANT2002: 219f, Figs. 21-23; KUHRT2007: 496, 504, 536, Figs. 11.11, 16, 29.
3" GARRISON 2011:48f.
^ See examples in SCHMIDT 1957: Pis. 2-8; BOARDMAN 1970: Pis. 461, 831,833, 836; BOARDMAN
2000:160-163.
^ On Tiribazus' staters, see above notę 15. On Mazaeus' use, see for example BM 2003,1107.3.
TYPE2
AR. Crowned and bearded four-winged deity 1. The figure's torso ends in
a disc, the top of which is obscured. Feathers extend beneath the disc. Two tendrils
extend diagonally below the disc and curl at the tips. Whole in dotted square bor-
der. Rider on horse galloping L, undemeath, uncertain figurę. Obols.
a) 0.72 g CNG Mail Bid 82 (2009) 731. (PI. 1, Figs. 5-6).
b) 0.61 g MESHORER and QEDAR 1999: no. 124.
AR. Unidentihed object (four-winged uraeus?); dotted square border.
Crowned and bearded four-winged deity r. The figurę's torso ends in a disc,
the top of which is obscured. Feathers extend beneath the disc. Whole in dotted
square border. Hemiobol.
^ ANS 2010.77.148;MESHORER, BlJOVSKYandFiSCHER-BOSSERT2013:216, no.
c) 0.19g
DISCUSSION
The figurę in the winged disc was a popular motif in Achaemenid art, associ-
ated with investiture of power and authority in the kingA While there is debate
regarding what exactly the symbol represents, it is universally acknowledged that
it was intimately tied to Achaemenid kingship.-' The most prominent example is
Darius Fs monument at Behistun.^ On that monument, the figurę hovers above
Darius, overlooking the king as he receives homage. But its use was not restricted
to Darius 1. The image is also found throughout Achaemenid palaces. It will fre-
quently appear in entrance ways, again hovering above the royal figurę A Although
the motif rarely appears in Persepolitan glyptic from Darius Fs reign, later ex-
amples have survived.-^ These seals, however, do not always show the winged
disc with a human figurę.^ The winged disc on coins is rarer: it appears on the
Cilician staters of Tiribazus with the human figurę (ca. 386-381), and on a series
ofMazaeus (ca. 360-334).^
2° MARAS 2009.
2' On the debate: see SHAHBAZI 1974; ROOT 1979: 169-171; SHAHBAZI 1980; LECOQ 1984;
JACOBS 1987. Association with kingship: ROOT 1979: 21 lf; SHAHBAZI 1980: 121f; JAMZADEH 1982:
96-98; MARAS 2009: 52-57; GARRISON 2013: 574-576.
^ ROOT 1979: PI. 8; see data inKUHRT 2007: §5.A.l.
^ BRIANT2002: 219f, Figs. 21-23; KUHRT2007: 496, 504, 536, Figs. 11.11, 16, 29.
3" GARRISON 2011:48f.
^ See examples in SCHMIDT 1957: Pis. 2-8; BOARDMAN 1970: Pis. 461, 831,833, 836; BOARDMAN
2000:160-163.
^ On Tiribazus' staters, see above notę 15. On Mazaeus' use, see for example BM 2003,1107.3.