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<p>[QUOTE="Curtis, post: 8251699, member: 26430"]I love the way the Celtic coins like this offer multiple images in a single design! That was the genius of the artistry -- it can't be judged by the standards of realism applied to Greek artwork. As you show, the elements are meant to be rearranged to show multiple different "hidden images."</p><p><br /></p><p>My example is not a terribly nice coin (even for its type), but it's rather rare, and I've been unable to find another nicer example on the market. Rather than the classic Celtic coin imitating (directly) a Philip II tetradrachm, this one is imitating the local bronze coinage of Odessos.</p><p><br /></p><p>My artwork isn't great, but I've tried to highlight the different busts in yellow (facing right on left, facing left in center, horse/rider on reverse):</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1453969[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>At first glance, when looking for it, it's easy to spot the classic Celtic head of Zeus right. But when rotated 120' counterclockwise, there is a second bust facing left. (There is also a central image of a floral design.)</p><p><br /></p><p>These are rarely fully struck, so it's hard to find other examples to compare and determine if this isn't just an accident of striking/centering. As for "pareidolia" (the mind's tendency to see designs such as faces in random imagery) -- I don't think so, but exploiting pareidolia is actually a design feature intrinsic to Celtic / “La Tène” artwork. (Strictly speaking, this may not be Celts, but certainly a culture with which there was strong mutual influence.)</p><p><br /></p><p>I've written a full essay (too much for the coin, really, but perhaps one day I'll share it here). But the main themes apply as well to the OP Celtic Parisii stater:</p><p><br /></p><p>- "Hidden faces" and other objects (relating to nature, especially); </p><p>- “Cheshire cat design” (or manipulation of the “figure-ground relationship”) in which one image appears and another recedes; and</p><p>- Rotational symmetry (the same, similar, or complementary images appear by rotating).</p><p><br /></p><p>These apply throughout Celtic artwork, not just coinage (and are actually more apparent in other media).</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's how I cataloged mine, including descriptions for all "three obverses":</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><b>Black Sea / Danube Region Celtic-Thracian Tribes. Imitating Thrace, Odessos. AE “Tetrachalkon”</b> (4.19g, 18mm). 3rd cent BC.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Obverse (hub):</b> Rosette with five curvilinear petals extending from central node or ball, all within large wreath or whorl of abstract floral imagery.</p><p><b>Obverse (12h):</b> Celticized laureate head of Zeus facing right.</p><p><b>Obverse (4h):</b> “Hidden” head facing left.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Celticized horseman riding right. (No legend visible.)</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>References:</b> <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4158744" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4158744" rel="nofollow">Elsen 127, #92</a> (2015); <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=147745" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=147745" rel="nofollow">Gorny & Mosch 126, #1086</a> (2003); Forum <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=37411q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=48162&" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=37411q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=48162&" rel="nofollow">#CE37411</a> & <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=89084q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=96648&" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=89084q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=96648&" rel="nofollow">#GB89084</a> (n.d.). <i>Prototype</i>: SNG BM 291; SNG Cop 670.</p><p><b>Notes</b>: Apparently very rare, unpublished, four known examples of related types, citing only prototype. Cf. “Zaravetz” (Tsarevets), Kugelwange (“ball cheek”), Doppelkopf (Janiform) types.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>I even made a draft video (!) ... below are thumbnails of some of the slides I included for anyone curious...</p><p>[ATTACH]1453986[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453983[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453984[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453987[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Curtis, post: 8251699, member: 26430"]I love the way the Celtic coins like this offer multiple images in a single design! That was the genius of the artistry -- it can't be judged by the standards of realism applied to Greek artwork. As you show, the elements are meant to be rearranged to show multiple different "hidden images." My example is not a terribly nice coin (even for its type), but it's rather rare, and I've been unable to find another nicer example on the market. Rather than the classic Celtic coin imitating (directly) a Philip II tetradrachm, this one is imitating the local bronze coinage of Odessos. My artwork isn't great, but I've tried to highlight the different busts in yellow (facing right on left, facing left in center, horse/rider on reverse): [ATTACH=full]1453969[/ATTACH] At first glance, when looking for it, it's easy to spot the classic Celtic head of Zeus right. But when rotated 120' counterclockwise, there is a second bust facing left. (There is also a central image of a floral design.) These are rarely fully struck, so it's hard to find other examples to compare and determine if this isn't just an accident of striking/centering. As for "pareidolia" (the mind's tendency to see designs such as faces in random imagery) -- I don't think so, but exploiting pareidolia is actually a design feature intrinsic to Celtic / “La Tène” artwork. (Strictly speaking, this may not be Celts, but certainly a culture with which there was strong mutual influence.) I've written a full essay (too much for the coin, really, but perhaps one day I'll share it here). But the main themes apply as well to the OP Celtic Parisii stater: - "Hidden faces" and other objects (relating to nature, especially); - “Cheshire cat design” (or manipulation of the “figure-ground relationship”) in which one image appears and another recedes; and - Rotational symmetry (the same, similar, or complementary images appear by rotating). These apply throughout Celtic artwork, not just coinage (and are actually more apparent in other media). Here's how I cataloged mine, including descriptions for all "three obverses": [INDENT][B]Black Sea / Danube Region Celtic-Thracian Tribes. Imitating Thrace, Odessos. AE “Tetrachalkon”[/B] (4.19g, 18mm). 3rd cent BC. [B]Obverse (hub):[/B] Rosette with five curvilinear petals extending from central node or ball, all within large wreath or whorl of abstract floral imagery. [B]Obverse (12h):[/B] Celticized laureate head of Zeus facing right. [B]Obverse (4h):[/B] “Hidden” head facing left. [B]Reverse:[/B] Celticized horseman riding right. (No legend visible.) [B] References:[/B] [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4158744']Elsen 127, #92[/URL] (2015); [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=147745']Gorny & Mosch 126, #1086[/URL] (2003); Forum [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=37411q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=48162&']#CE37411[/URL] & [URL='https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=89084q00.jpg&vpar=1557&zpg=96648&']#GB89084[/URL] (n.d.). [I]Prototype[/I]: SNG BM 291; SNG Cop 670. [B]Notes[/B]: Apparently very rare, unpublished, four known examples of related types, citing only prototype. Cf. “Zaravetz” (Tsarevets), Kugelwange (“ball cheek”), Doppelkopf (Janiform) types.[/INDENT] I even made a draft video (!) ... below are thumbnails of some of the slides I included for anyone curious... [ATTACH]1453986[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453983[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453984[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1453987[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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