Stater (Coin) Depicting a Quadriga
322-308 BCE
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111015
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a quadriga (four-horse chariot) to the right driven by a youthful charioteer with a sun-disc with 5 rays. The back (reverse) depicts the god Zeus Ammon with a horn, standing to the left, holding a patera (dish) over a thymiaterion, with 5 patela. This coin shows the deity Zeus Amon, a combination of the Greek god Zeus and the Egyptian god Amun. He holds a scepter while pouring an offering from a patera, a plate used for offerings of olive oil or wine. Th...
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...