And speaking of Lead Plaques...here's mine!

[Mayadigger]

Ave!

Gallo-Roman 'Sun in Chariot' Figural Plaque

Lead, 145 grams, 95.64 mm. Circa 2nd-3rd century AD.

A rectangular lead plaque bearing a decorated arch enclosing a figural scene in three tiers. The upper corners are decorated with coiled serpent images facing each other across the arch. In the upper field is a male (Soli Invicto 'The Unconquered Sun', with radiate crown, right arm raised, left arm holding orb, wearing a tunic and cloak pinned at the right shoulder, standing in a quadriga facing with four horses advancing. Below this is a group of figures comprising a warrior in a crested helmet, with a shield and holding a spear behind a horseman with raised arms above a dolphin; in the center is a standing female (sometimes attributed as Helena, mother of Constantine I) in a loose robe with a basket in her lap; to the right is a horseman advancing to the center with raised arm trampling a female, and behind him a figure with raised right arm holding a branch. The lower tier includes a naked standing male with an animal mask above a cauldron, to his right a smaller figure seated beneath a tree; the central scene shows three figures seated at a round table, sharing food; to the right stands a pair of naked youths holding hands. The plaque probably formed part of the ornamental facade of a temple.

A few minor bends and bottom crack that doesn't mar the over-all beauty of the plaque. It came to me just a few weeks ago in a lot of uncleaned coins and artifacts from the Balkans. It wasn't expected and when I opened the bubble-wrap, I nearly wet my pants! ;-)

Enjoy,

Kevin

[Jay GT4]

WoW!  Thanks for sharing Kevin.

[SC]

Very nice.  That is a type (rectangular plaque with arch comprised of pearls/eggs) that I don't have (hint, hint if you ever decide to sell).

I will post images of mine later today when I get the camera battery charged.

You can date these much better than "2nd-3rd century" (or worse, 4th-5th century as you inexplicably see with some dealers).

The Thracian rider cult thrived from the mid-2nd to early 3rd century.  But that cult only ever had a single horseman on its plaques which in any case were rarely lead - more often stone or terra-cotta.

The Danubian rider cult is different but clearly derived somewhat from the Thracian.  It always has two horseman - thought to be derived from the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux.  The Danubian cult began in the early 3rd century in the Balkans but plaques like this date to the second half of the 3rd century.  This makes a great deal of sense if you look at the imagery and think of the coinage of that period.  Look at the aurelaini of Aurelian, and in particular Probus.  Facing quadrigae, sun Gods with radiate crowns, Luna type goddesses with crescent moons, etc.

There is all kinds of very interesting imagery on these plaques, some of which is understood and some not.  For example, you are missing most of the bottom register.  You can just see the head of a chicken (air) and the handle of a cantos/jug (water).  Missing is a snake (earth) and a lion (fire).  The four elements.  (Guess that makes the fish on the tripod which always appears in this register, and is on the left on yours, the fifth element....)

Yours has a lovely Sol in facing quadriga, complete with raised hand and orb in other hand.  If you insist on keeping this plaque ..... you should display in next to a sol in facing quadriga coin of Probus.

Shawn

[SC]

Here are four of my Danubian Rider plaques.

They come from the collection of Rudolf Franz Ertl, author of "Donaureiter-Bleivotivtafeln. Versuch einer Typologie."  (Petronell-Carnuntum, 1996).

1)  Round type.  At top fish under seven stars.  Then Sol and Luna busts facing each other, goddess in between.  Next two riders facing each other, goddess between.  Four elements in bottom.

2)  Round type.  Eggs around rim.  Pair of snakes at top.  Large 3/4 bust of goddess, between Luna and Sol busts, then between two riders, each trampling fallen figure.  Below chicken (air), kanthos (water), and lion (fire).  The snakes (earth) are at top.

3)  Rectangular type.  Fish at top.  Then Luna and Sol busts with two snakes between.  Then goddess standing between two riders each trampling fish-people ??  Then tripod, weird thingy, hunter with rabbit hanging from tree and three balls over ??

4)  Rectangular type with round centre.  Fish at top.  bust in each of four corners.  Goddess standing between Sol and Luna busts.  Goddess standing between two riders.  Four standing figures at bottom.

All date to second half of 3rd century AD.

Shawn

[Gert]

I have only limited knowledge of these, but a good friend of mine with a collection of these dates them late 3rd, beginning 4th century. That makes me wonder about the dating - is that done solely on the basis of style and interpretation of the imagery or is there some more solid evidence?
Regards
Gert

[SC]

There is apparently some find evidence as well as stylistic.

Second half of 3rd is not too different from late 3rd-early 4th. 

Especially when many sources still give 2nd-3rd century or 4th-5th century as the date range...

It would be interesting to learn how late they were used.  Were they still common for example on the eve of the battle of Milvian Bridge?

I have a couple of pieces of lead scrap that may be portions of such plaques cut up and folded up.  Hard to tell with all the scarring.  One wonders if they were ever "sacrificed" by believers or alternatively destroyed after the cult wound down.

Sadly I don't have access to the huge English language corpus by Tudor which might give more details.

Shawn

[Heliodromus]

Here's one I used to own (I sold it).

The Sun god is Sol Invictus per the raised hand and globe, which narrows the dating. The cult of Sol Invictus was created by Aurelian, but he first appears with these attributes on the coinage of Septimus Severus, then disappears from the coinage during the time of Constantine I (although no doubt the cult itself, or at least localized worship, would have continued for a while).

Some of these plaques, such as this type, seem to have been quite short lived since there are only a small number of moulds (e.g. mine appears a match to Kevin's).

Ben

[Maximianus]

Hello everyone,

those last years, I've interessed myself to those lead tablets.
I have the D. Tudor, Ephemeris Dacoromana (1937) and I'm looking for Ertl.
This is fascinating.

[Maximianus]

Sorry for the erratic posts.

I'm trying to build a database to sort all kinds of iconography.
I'm very thankfull for your previous pictures.

Here are mines.

[Mayadigger]

Ave!

Sorry for the erratic posts.

I'm trying to build a database to sort all kinds of iconography.
I'm very thankful for your previous pictures.

Here a few of mine for you iconography.

Best,

Kevin

[Mayadigger]

Ave!

Another lead plaque just arrived; two photos under different light sources.

Lead; 88mm/75mm; 96.8gm

As Shawn noted earlier in this post: "Rectangular type.  Fish at top. Then Luna and Sol busts with two snakes between. Then goddess standing between two riders each trampling fish-people ?? Then tripod, weird thingy, hunter with rabbit hanging from tree and three balls over ??"

Perhaps I can clear things up a bit as all the images on this plaque are rather clear? Here is what I can see...anyway. 

Rectangular type: above, fish swimming left

The 1st Tier: Writhing snakes facing inward and feeding from an urn/chalice? (What is this?) To left, bust of Luna on crescent moon; to right, radiate bust of Sol

The 2nd Tier: A pair of mounted horsemen (Castor and Pollux?) each proceeding inward and flanking the standing facing figure of Epona, the sole Celtic divinity ultimately worshipped in Rome itself as the patroness of cavalry. To left, forepart of a ram, standing upwards, one leg raised; to right, a togate (?) figure. Beneath the horsemen, a pair of trampled enemies, supine, facing each other, one arm expended.

3rd Tier: left to right; tripod, eagle-topped standard, man kneeling left, hanging rabbit in a small tree, three pellets above an amphora, and a cockerel standing left on a ram's skull (bucranium).

Ref/ Ertl type F.1?

The symbiology seen on these plaques is rather confusing as to our eyes as no one has been initiated into this secret cult for over 1,700 years. Maybe the Illuminati? 
For instance, why a man hanging a rabbit in tree?

Please correct me if I have made any mistakes or am I simply too confused.

Best regards to all,

Kevin

[Kilian O]

Great specimens you all have!