Pontos. Amisos. Mithradates VI Eupator. Dionysus. Cista Mystica.
Lot 108 · Consigned by mjd
Closed
Description
Exceptional condition for a bronze of this type with crisp detail. Harder to find this version with flanking monograms.Hellenistic stylization along with classic iconography of Amisos.
The cista mystica was a sacred woven basket or chest employed in Amisos mystery cults, most closely associated with the rites of Dionysos. Its presence alludes to the hidden and initiatory nature of these cult practices. The panther skin draped upon the cista mystica reinforces the Dionysiac connection, as panthers were traditional companions of the god and a frequent emblem of his untamed, ecstatic character.
The thyrsus, a ritual staff of giant fennel wrapped in ivy and sometimes bound with ribbons and crowned by a pine cone, was carried in Hellenic festivals and religious ceremonies. Strongly linked to Dionysos, it served as a symbol of prosperity, fertility, and ecstatic abundance.
8.74g; 20.1mm
Obv: Head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath.
Rev: AMIΣOY. Thyrsos leaning against cista mystica and draped with panther skin; monogram to left and right.
SNG BM Black Sea 1209; SNG Stancomb 699; HGC 7, 243.