Octadrachm (Coin) Portraying Queen Arsinoe II
After 270 BCE, issued by King Ptolemy II or III
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.9 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
5779
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Obverse: Head of Arsinoe II wearing stephane and veiled to right, tip of Ammon horn visible below ear Reverse: Double cornucopia full of fruit, bunch of grapes hangs from each side; tied with fringed fillet Queen Arsinoë II, the daughter of Ptolemy I and the sister-goddess-consort of Ptolemy II, is honored on this coin. Under her veil is revealed the ram horn of the Egyptian god Amun, a mark of pharaonic royalty. This coin was issued posthumously.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...