Contorniate
A contorniate, or contourniate (UK pronunciation: /kənˈtɔːnɪət/), is a type of ancient Roman medal or medallion of bronze issued in the fourth and fifth centuries CE, having a deep furrow on the contour or edge, as if the object had been turned in a lathe. The extant contorniates show portraits of various earlier emperors (especially Nero and Trajan) or of cultural figures such as Homer, Solon, Euclid, Pythagoras, Socrates, Sallust, Apollonius Tyaneus, and Apuleius, as well as athletes, whose victories are symbolized by palm leaves and chariots, either bigae or quadrigae. The medals were not used as currency, but may have been distributed as New Year's gifts[1] in association with public spectacles, including chariot races and pantomime.[2]
The standard catalog of these medals is by Andreas and Elisabeth Alföldi, Kontorniat-Medaillons (Berlin, 1976), Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (v. 1) and Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (v.2).
References
[edit | edit source]Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Mittag, Peter Franz (1999). Alte Köpfe in neuen Händen. Urheber und Funktion der Kontorniaten [Old heads in new hands. Originators and function of the Contorniates]. Antiquitas, series 3, volume 38. Bonn: Habelt, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
External links
[edit | edit source]- Stefan Krmnicek (ed): Medaillons und Kontorniaten. Antike Sonderprägungen aus der Münzsammlung des Instituts für Klassische Archäologie der Universität Tübingen. In: Von Krösus bis zu König Wilhelm, Neue Serie. Band 1, 2016, a collection catalog from the University of Tübingen (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on contorniates.
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