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Ganymede and the Eagle

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Britannicus:
A number of different groups of Ganymede and the eagle (Zeus) appear on provincial coins (in Dardanus, Ilium, Hadrianopolis in Thrace, Sebaste in Phrygia), but here is a new (?) one that I have just acquired on a little lead tessera (Pb 17, 4.24 g) of unknown origin (I'm guessing Ephesus, however, since it was offered for sale with Ephesian tesserae, and looks like other such items from Ephesus that I know). The pose, with Ganymede placing his left arm about the eagle, is different from that on Varbanov 3324, where the boy seems to be advancing towards the eagle, but very close to that of a statuary group in Naples. For good measure, I've also attached an image of a similar, though slightly different, group in Rome.

Francis

Jochen:
Nice find!

Gert:
That's a nice find indeed. Well made and well designed. I often feel lead is very underappreciated. But it can offer the same aesthetic joys as any other metal. And sometimes amazing types come along, like this item, coincidentally from the same sale as your tessera: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=71554
Regards
Gert

Britannicus:

--- Quote from: Gert on July 06, 2011, 02:09:36 pm ---sometimes amazing types come along, like this item, coincidentally from the same sale as your tessera: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=71554
Regards
Gert

--- End quote ---
"Esau" actually spelled out - these things never cease to amaze me! But I've spotted several other Jewish/Biblical motifs on lead tesserae in recent months. Perhaps it's not surprising, since there were large Jewish communities in many of the Graeco-Roman cities of Asia Minor (St. Paul being a famous product of one of them).
And you've encouraged me to consider moving my Ganymede from the "Incerti" tray to "Ephesus" (though I'll keep the question mark).

Gert:
That's a big question mark. I don't know if you're aware, but there's a book on Ephesian lead tesserae (that's the title) in Turkish and English by Onur Gülbay and Hasas Kirec (2008). There are about 300 catalogued, but Ganymede is not in there. Moreover, the flans of the Ephesian tesserae are usually quite well rounded.
Regards
Gert

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