| 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 1:
| 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 2:
| 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 3:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2783 Price realized: 35 CHF (Approx. 40 USD / 37 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Anonymous, circa 6th-7th centuries. Medallion (Bronze, 27 mm, 2.34 g). Saint on horseback riding to right, holding cruciform scepter or spear in his right hand; to right, palm frond. Rev. Incuse of obverse. An interesting repoussé medallion. Good very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. Without any legend, it is difficult to identify the saint. The scene resembles late Antique iconography of Christ entering Jerusalem, but there are no clear signs that this episode was intended - there are no attendants paving the road with their garments and the mount is clearly not a donkey. On the other hand, images of a Holy Rider were very popular in this period of time, usually depicting the rider in full gallop, spearing a demon with a cruciform spear. The rider on our piece seems to be holding a cruciform spear or scepter as well, and he may well be attributed to the same iconographical tradition. Starting price: 25 CHF |  |
Match 4:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 29 | Auction date: 24 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 2802 Price realized: 360 CHF (Approx. 409 USD / 378 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Nikephoros Botaneiates (the future emperor), kouropalates and doux of Anatolikon, 1074-1077. Seal (Lead, 28 mm, 22.30 g, 12 h). Θ / Δ/H/M/H-T/P/I/O/C Saint Demetrios, nimbate, standing facing, wearing elaborately jeweled cloak, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, / NIKHΦⲰ[P]Ⲱ / K૪POΠAΛA' / S ΔUΞ TⲰN A/NAT,ΛIK, TⲰ / ROTANЄI/ATH in seven lines. DO Seals III 86.18. Zacos/Veglery 2690. An interesting seal of the later emperor as a high-ranking military commander. Pierced, otherwise, good very fine. From a European collection, formed before 2005. The stellar career of the later emperor, Nikephoros Botaneiates, can be traced in the sigillographic record. Quite a number of his seals are known, the earliest of which attest the relatively modest court rank of anthypatos patrikios in the 1050s. During the 1060s and early 1070s, he was promoted continually until he held the elevated rank of sebastos in circa 1077, just before his revolt in October of that year. Our seal mentions him being kouropalates, the court dignity that ranks just below sebastos. He is first known to have carried this title during the battles against the Norman rebel, Roussel de Bailleul, in Asia Minor in 1074, which implies that our seal, which also mentions the military command of doux of Anatolikon, must be dated to the years just before Nikephoros received the title of sebastos and his subsequent ascension to the purple (1074-1077). Starting price: 50 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 5557 Price realized: 78 CHF (Approx. 89 USD / 82 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Alla Amidas/Armeha, before 540-550s. Argyros (Gilt Billon, 15 mm, 0.82 g, 12 h). ነገሠአረመሐ ('ngsʼrmh' = 'King Armeha' in Ge'ez) Draped half-length bust of Alla Amidas/Armeha to right, wearing gilt tiara and circular earring, holding long cross-tipped scepter in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left, cross-tipped scepter decorated with barley ear; to upper right, o. Rev. ሠሀለመሰለመ ('shlwslm' = 'Mercy and peace' in Ge'ez) Distyle arch surmounted by central cross in outline inlaid in gold flanked by two cross-tipped scepters, containing chalice (?) with round base inlaid in gold. Hahn, Aksumite, 71. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 70. Munro-Hay, AC, type 151. Edge chipping, otherwise, very fine. From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection. Armeha has previously been considered a contemporary of the prophet Muhammed, based on a story recorded by the Muslim historian, Muhammad ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī (circa 839-923), who mentions a prince Arha living in the 7th century. This moved his coinage to the very end to the Axumite series, and the lack of gold coins in his name would thus reflect the dire economic straits Axum found itself in by this time. Hahn & Keck (MAKS, p. 118), however, argue that Armeha is more likely to be a different name for Alla Amidas, a close successor of Kaleb, and thus his coins are considerably earlier. Both the silver and bronze coinage of Alla Amidas/Armeha were innovative. Firstly, it saw the permanent introduction of Ge'ez to these metals, which nearly completely supplanted Greek over the following decades. Moreover, the iconography of his silver issues is highly intriguing. Various interpretations have been offered for the curious design found on the reverse, ranging from a decorated throne to a triumphal arch or the Spring of Life, while the object in the middle has variously been described as a key, as the stone closing off the Holy Sepulchre, or as a crown. The latter in particular evokes the story of Kaleb donating his crown to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, but the shape does not seem to accord well with a crown. Hahn & Keck interpret the object as a chalice containing the blood of Christ (hence also the gilding of the base). The central gilded cross then represents Christ, while the cross-tipped scepters underline his status as King of Kings. All taken together, the scene symbolizes the Eucharist, in which the blood of Christ was transformed for the deliverance of all believers. Starting price: 25 CHF |  |
