| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 5192 Price realized: 25 CHF (Approx. 28 USD / 26 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Anonymous, circa 7th century. Amulet (Lead, 26 mm, 4.49 g, 12 h), Holy Rider amulet. Holy Rider galloping right, spearing demon laying prostrate on the ground. Rev. Emperor (?) enthroned, holding globus cruciger; to left and right, attendants. Apparently unpublished. Breakage along the edges, otherwise, very fine. Ex Leu Web Auction 26, 8-13 July 2023, 5840, and previously from a European collection, formed before 2005. 'Holy Rider' imagery appears on a large and heterogeneous group of mostly haematite, bronze and lead amulets. Their date is debated, but most objects appear to originate from the 5th and 6th centuries. On the hardstone gems, the Holy Rider is usually named 'Solomon' in allusion to the Late Antique tradition of King Solomon as a master of demons. Starting price: 25 CHF |  |
Match 1:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2773 Price realized: 320 CHF (Approx. 363 USD / 336 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Anonymous, circa 6th century. Amulet (Bronze, 60 mm, 11.47 g, 12 h), Evil Eye amulet composed of two attached copper plates with repoussé designs. Holy Rider galloping right, holding spear in the form of a cross, spearing a prostrate female demon; in left field, draped bust of the Moon wearing crescent; in right field, cross within circle; below, lion running right. Rev. KVPIЄ / BOHΘI ('Lord, help') Evil Eye, in the center, being pierced from above and attacked by wild animals from below; to left and right, crosses; in left field, star. Cf. J. Russell: The Archaeological Context of Magic in the Early Byzantine Period, in: Henry Maguire (ed.), Byzantine Magic (Dumbarton Oaks 1995), p. 35-50, fig. 5 and 6 and Leu Web Auction 26 (2023), 5826. A very interesting amulet to ward off the Evil Eye. Minor surface cracks and breakage on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Starting price: 75 CHF |  |
Match 2:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2815 Price realized: 600 CHF (Approx. 681 USD / 629 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Anonymous, 11th-12th century. Seal (Lead, 26 mm, 13.57 g, 12 h). M / ΘV - IC / XC - O / ЄV/[ЄP]/ΓЄ/T ('Mother of God. Jesus Christ the Benefactor'). Rev. H KHMI/C, The Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis): Christ at the center, standing left, holding soul of the Virgin; below, bier with the reclining Virgin surrounded by rows of apostles; below to right, Saint Peter swinging a censer; to upper left and right, two half-length busts of angels. Do Seals VII 1.12. Sandrovskaja, Sfragistika no. 805. A marvellous iconographic seal with an extremely rare Dormition scene. Some flatness, otherwise, very fine. Ex Papillon E-Auction 5, 6 March 2021, 802. Though Scripture does not refer to the Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis in Greek), a lively tradition surrounding her passing developed in Late Antiquity. In contrast to Christ's suffering at the Cross, the Dormition is a tranquil event, the soul of the Virgin endearingly being carried off by the Lord as the apostles, who were magically teleported to Mary's deathbed, look on. The scene was a beloved topic on Byzantine icons, and its appearance on our piece attests the influence of contemporary art on seals. Starting price: 100 CHF |  |
Match 3:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2781 Price realized: 1,100 CHF (Approx. 1,249 USD / 1,154 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: UNCERTAIN EAST. Levantine region or Egypt, circa 6th-7th century. Amulet (Bronze, 51 mm, 14.37 g, 12 h). ΑΓΙΟC ΑΓΙΟC ΑΓΙΟC K(VPIO)C CABAⲰΘ ΠΗΛΡΗC O OVΡΑИΟC KS Γ, ('Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are full') Holy Rider galloping right, holding spear in the form of a cross in his right ha, spearing a prostrate female demon; to right, angel advancing right, holding cross in his left hand; to upper left, two stars. Rev. CΦΡΑΓΙC COΛOMOИOC BOHΘH TOV ΦΟΡΟVИΤΗ ΜΗΧΑΙΛ ('Seal of Solomon, help the wearer, Michael') Mount Golgotha (?) surmounted by cross within circle between two torches; to left, radiate bust of the Sun to right, raising his right hand; to upper left, crescent between decorations; to right, bust of the Moon to left, wearing crescent; in lower register, lion running right towards the Evil Eye, which is pierced by spear or arrow; below, prostrate female demon. Cf. T. Matantseva (1994), Les amulettes byzantines contre le Mauvais Oeil du Cabinet des Médailles, in: Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum 37, p. 110-121, notably plate 14, no. a. (for quotation of the Sanctus) and c. (for basic iconography). A highly fascinating amulet with intriguing iconography. Pierced and with some spots of active corrosion, otherwise, extremely fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Through its legends and its iconography, this object can be identified as a magical amulet. It belongs to an eclectic group of late antique amulets showing imagery of the 'Holy Rider' spearing a female demon and the vanquishing of the Evil Eye. The obverse legend is derived from the 'Sanctus', an important hymn that is still used in both Catholic and Orthodox liturgy today. The part of the hymn that appears on our amulet is a quotation from Isaiah 6:3. Interestingly, the engraver ran out of space, resulting in the omission of the latter part ('of thy glory') and only the initial letter appears for 'earth'. 'Holy Rider' imagery, as seen on the obverse, appears on a large and heterogeneous group of mostly haematite, bronze and lead amulets. Their date is debated, but most objects appear to originate between the 5th and 7th centuries. On the gems, the Holy Rider is usually named 'Solomon' in allusion to the late antique tradition of king Solomon as master of demons. It was believed that king Solomon received the 'Seal of God' from the Archangel Michael, a magical ring allowing him to command demons, thus enabling him to build the Temple in Jerusalem. This tradition is also alluded to in the reverse legend of our amulet, in which its 'wearer', named Michael, invokes the 'Seal of Solomon' to protect him. The iconography on the reverse is less straightforward. The identification of the central object on the reverse is not clear, but it might well be mount Golgotha between Sun and Moon. Many of the earliest Crucifixion scenes typically show flanking personifications of the Sun and Moon as well. In the lower register, we see a variation of the vanquishing of the evil eye, a scene that usually appears as the main device on this type of amulet. On our amulet, a small evil eye pierced by a spear or an arrow appears to the right of a running lion, attacking it. Below, the same prostrate demon appears as on the obverse. Evidently, this amulet was meant to protect its wearer from harm, specifically from demons and the evil eye. It is fascinating to see how during the early Byzantine period themes and phrases that were outspokenly Christian were appropriated into the age-old Roman practice of magic. Starting price: 200 CHF |  |
Match 4:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2782 Price realized: 160 CHF (Approx. 182 USD / 168 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: UNCERTAIN EAST. Levantine region or Egypt, circa 6th-7th century. Amulet (Bronze, 36 mm, 7.34 g, 12 h). +CΦΡΑΓΙC COΛOMONOC BOHΘI T૪ ΦΟΡΟNTH ('Seal of Solomon, help the wearer') In upper register, mount Golgotha (?) surmounted by cross; to left, radiate bust of the Sun to right; to right, bust of the Moon to left, wearing crescent; in lower register, lion standing right, on top of serpent. Rev. +ΦЄVΓЄ MЄMICMЄNH ΔIⲰKI CЄ AΓΓEΛOC APAAΦ ('Flee, detested one! He pursues you, angel Araaph!') Holy Rider galloping left, holding spear in the form of a cross, spearing a prostrate female demon; to right, angel standing left; to left, monogram. Cf. T. Matantseva, Les amulettes byzantines contre le Mauvais Oeil du Cabinet des Médailles, in: Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum 37 (1994), p. 110-121, notably plate 14, c. (for basic iconography). Some weakness, otherwise, fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Other amulets of this type name Solomon as the pursuer of the detested angel Araaph, in allusion to the late antique tradition of king Solomon as master of demons (see also the longer note on lot 2781 above). Starting price: 50 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 5540 Price realized: 260 CHF (Approx. 296 USD / 274 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Kaleb, circa 510-530s. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.55 g, 12 h). ✠✠✠ΑΛΗᗺ ᗺAↃAA϶YↃ Draped half-length bust of Kaleb to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; all within circular border. Rev. ✠✠✠AIOↃ OI϶ИЄИΛ Draped half-length bust of Kaleb to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; all within circular border. Hahn, Aksumite, 41c. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 65. Munro-Hay, AC, type 98-109. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, good fine. From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection. With the reign of Kaleb, the Axumite Kingdom again enters the light of historiography. Both Byzantine and Islamic sources (notably Procopius, De bell. 1.20.1-8) report that under Kaleb, a Christian king was installed in the Himyarite Kingdom in circa 518, but that he was toppled by Yusuf Dhu Nuwas, a Jewish convert, who pursued a decidedly anti-Christian (and thus anti-Axumite and anti-Byzantine) course. The massacre of the Christian community at Najran in particular greatly impressed the Christian world, and Kaleb invaded southern Arabia once more in circa 525 with approval of the Byzantine emperor, Justin I (although Procopius rather paints Justinian I as the instigator), sweeping away the forces of Yusuf and installing a new local client king named Sumuyafa Ashwa, who was promptly baptized. The conquest would not prove durable, however, as a revolt of Ethiopian troops stationed in Himyar during the next decade saw a certain Abreha rise to power. Though Kaleb attempted to reassert Axumite authority, his attempts were ultimately in vain. His reign would be Axum's swan song, as the kingdom's power and prosperity appear to have steadily declined over the following decades. He is said to have abdicated, dedicating his crown to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and entering a monastery. After his death, Kaleb was canonized, and he is still venerated as Saint Elesbaan in the Orthodox Church today. Interestingly, Kaleb's chrysoi carry a filiation ('YIOC ΘЄΖΑΝΑ' = 'Son of Thezana'), a unique phenomenon in Axumite coinage. It is not entirely clear who this Thezana was - it could be another name of Nezana/Nezool, meaning that Kaleb was of royal blood, or a wholly unknown individual who did not reign at all. If the former is true, Kaleb apparently did not directly succeed his father, perhaps because he was still a minor when the king died. Such a course of events might explain the appearance of his unusual coin legends, which underlined his claim to power through noble parentage. Starting price: 75 CHF |  |
