DOI article:
Shannahan, John: Samarian depictions of the figure in the winged disc
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31074#0035
SAMARIAN DEP1CT10NS...
The first is the number of wings. In Achaemenid reliefs, the winged disc is shown
with two wings extending horizontally (PI. 2, Fig. 8). Types 1 and 2 have four
wings. This immediately preciudes any comparison with the Cilician staters of
Tiribazus (Pi. 2, Fig. 9), whose depiction of the winged disc is in keeping with
standard Achaemenid versions (though the Hellenised figurę on Tiribazus' staters
is unique). Four wings are seen in some Achaemenid sealsA They still, however,
differ in key details. The Iower pair of wings in seals showing the four-winged
figurę is most frequently horizontal. Neither Type i nor Type 2 have horizontai
wings. An exception can be seen on a seai held in BerlinA It is interesting for its
depiction of two winged discs, one with a human figurę and one without. The fig-
urę in the winged disc on this seai is similar to Type 2. In both examples the human
torso terminates in a disc with the top obscured, and four wings extend diagonally.
The second elear difference is the absence of the central disc from Type 1. In
Type 1 the torso of the figurę extends directly into a taił of feathers. In all monu-
mentai Achaemenid versions of the figurę in the winged disc, the torso of the figurę
ends at the winged disc, from which feathers extend. On the other hand, among
the corpus of Achaemenid seai impressions, the central disc is often obscureA But
such seals can be remarkabie for their own oddities. In one example the seai is un-
usual for its depiction of the figurę in an Assyrian garmentA Indeed, a comparison
of Type 1 with Assyrian depictions of Assur as archer reveals that the replacement
of the legs with feathers is in keeping with Assyrian versions of the motifA On
another seai the head of the figurę is enlarged so as to be larger than the rest of the
torso A Another Achaemenid seai which shows no central disc is so peculiar that it
warranted discussion by RootA The composition of Type 1 is not commonplace.
The absence of the central disc may suggest that the die-engraver was inspired by
a seai like those outlined above.
In addition to these major differences, there were two minor adaptations
madę for Samarian coinage. The first was the presentation of the figurę in the
winged disc in isolation. In Achaemenid art, he hovers above humans or animals.
Alongside the staters of Tiribazus, these Samarian types can be considered part
of a handful of examples where he is aloneA The hands of the figurę are also
^ E.g. figures in MESHORER and QEDAR 1999: 51f(which appears to be BOARDMAN 2000: Fig. 5.18
= BM 89352); PORADA 1948: no. 831; ROOT 1999.
JACOBS 1991: Fig. 3.
^ GARRISON and ROOT 2001: 69. See, for example, nos. 4, 29, and PI. 248a-e.
^ EADEM: no. 45.
3'E.g. BM 124551.
3s GARRISON and ROOT 2001: no. 58.
3' ROOT 1999.
SHAHBAZI 1974: 136.
The first is the number of wings. In Achaemenid reliefs, the winged disc is shown
with two wings extending horizontally (PI. 2, Fig. 8). Types 1 and 2 have four
wings. This immediately preciudes any comparison with the Cilician staters of
Tiribazus (Pi. 2, Fig. 9), whose depiction of the winged disc is in keeping with
standard Achaemenid versions (though the Hellenised figurę on Tiribazus' staters
is unique). Four wings are seen in some Achaemenid sealsA They still, however,
differ in key details. The Iower pair of wings in seals showing the four-winged
figurę is most frequently horizontal. Neither Type i nor Type 2 have horizontai
wings. An exception can be seen on a seai held in BerlinA It is interesting for its
depiction of two winged discs, one with a human figurę and one without. The fig-
urę in the winged disc on this seai is similar to Type 2. In both examples the human
torso terminates in a disc with the top obscured, and four wings extend diagonally.
The second elear difference is the absence of the central disc from Type 1. In
Type 1 the torso of the figurę extends directly into a taił of feathers. In all monu-
mentai Achaemenid versions of the figurę in the winged disc, the torso of the figurę
ends at the winged disc, from which feathers extend. On the other hand, among
the corpus of Achaemenid seai impressions, the central disc is often obscureA But
such seals can be remarkabie for their own oddities. In one example the seai is un-
usual for its depiction of the figurę in an Assyrian garmentA Indeed, a comparison
of Type 1 with Assyrian depictions of Assur as archer reveals that the replacement
of the legs with feathers is in keeping with Assyrian versions of the motifA On
another seai the head of the figurę is enlarged so as to be larger than the rest of the
torso A Another Achaemenid seai which shows no central disc is so peculiar that it
warranted discussion by RootA The composition of Type 1 is not commonplace.
The absence of the central disc may suggest that the die-engraver was inspired by
a seai like those outlined above.
In addition to these major differences, there were two minor adaptations
madę for Samarian coinage. The first was the presentation of the figurę in the
winged disc in isolation. In Achaemenid art, he hovers above humans or animals.
Alongside the staters of Tiribazus, these Samarian types can be considered part
of a handful of examples where he is aloneA The hands of the figurę are also
^ E.g. figures in MESHORER and QEDAR 1999: 51f(which appears to be BOARDMAN 2000: Fig. 5.18
= BM 89352); PORADA 1948: no. 831; ROOT 1999.
JACOBS 1991: Fig. 3.
^ GARRISON and ROOT 2001: 69. See, for example, nos. 4, 29, and PI. 248a-e.
^ EADEM: no. 45.
3'E.g. BM 124551.
3s GARRISON and ROOT 2001: no. 58.
3' ROOT 1999.
SHAHBAZI 1974: 136.