- Title Pages
- Dedication
- List of Plates
- Notes on Contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Central Asia: West and East
- Nomad
- 2 Nomads and the Shaping of Central Asia: from the Early Iron Age to the Kushan period
- 3 Nomad Migration in Central Asia
- 4 Regions and Territories in Southern Central Asia: What the Surkhan Darya Province tells us about Bactria
- City
- 5 Bactria, Land of a Thousand Cities
- 6 Ai Khanum Reconstructed
- 7 The Culture of Parthian Nisa between Steppe and Empire
- 8 Termez in Antiquity
- 9 The Arrangement of Buildings in the Quarters of a Sogdian City
- Invasion
- 10 Ardashir’s Eastern Campaign and the Numismatic Evidence
- 11 The Sasanian relief at Rag-i Bibi (Northern Afghanistan)
- 12 The Fortifications at Gobekly-depe
- 13 The Bullae of Gobekly-depe
- 14 Gorgân and Dehistan: The North-East Frontier of the Iranian Empire
- 15 The Fortifications of the City of Gyaur Kala, Merv
- 16 Money
- 16 Money as a Marker of Cultural Continuity and Change in Central Asia
- 17 Some Questions Regarding the Numismatics of Pre-Islamic Merv
- 18 Monetary Circulation in Ancient Tokharistan
- 19 Money in Eastern Central Asia before AD 800
- Religion
- 20 Religious Iconography on Ancient Iranian Coins
- 21 The Fire Temple at Tash-k’irman Tepe, Chorasmia
- 22 A Tower of Silence of the Sasanian Period at Bandiyan: Some observations about Dakhmas in Zoroastrian Religion
- 23 Buddhism and Features of the Buddhist Art of Bactria-Tokharistan
- Index
- Maps
Religious Iconography on Ancient Iranian Coins
Religious Iconography on Ancient Iranian Coins
- Chapter:
- (p.412) (p.413) 20 Religious Iconography on Ancient Iranian Coins
- Source:
- After Alexander: Central Asia before Islam
- Author(s):
VESTA SARKHOSH CURTIS
- Publisher:
- British Academy
This chapter aims to draw attention to the importance of coin iconography in the Parthian and Sasanian periods and to suggest an alternative approach to the conventional reading of the symbolism. The iconography of Iranian coins after the conquest of Alexander shows similarity with the iconography of Seleucid coins, and in both cases the king on the obverse enjoys divine support. The chapter suggests that the iconography of pre-Islamic Iranian coins must therefore be understood not as part of the Hellenistic tradition but should be seen within its Iranian/Zoroastrian context.
Keywords: coin iconography, Parthian period, Sasanian period, symbolism, Iranian coins, Hellenistic tradition
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- Title Pages
- Dedication
- List of Plates
- Notes on Contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Central Asia: West and East
- Nomad
- 2 Nomads and the Shaping of Central Asia: from the Early Iron Age to the Kushan period
- 3 Nomad Migration in Central Asia
- 4 Regions and Territories in Southern Central Asia: What the Surkhan Darya Province tells us about Bactria
- City
- 5 Bactria, Land of a Thousand Cities
- 6 Ai Khanum Reconstructed
- 7 The Culture of Parthian Nisa between Steppe and Empire
- 8 Termez in Antiquity
- 9 The Arrangement of Buildings in the Quarters of a Sogdian City
- Invasion
- 10 Ardashir’s Eastern Campaign and the Numismatic Evidence
- 11 The Sasanian relief at Rag-i Bibi (Northern Afghanistan)
- 12 The Fortifications at Gobekly-depe
- 13 The Bullae of Gobekly-depe
- 14 Gorgân and Dehistan: The North-East Frontier of the Iranian Empire
- 15 The Fortifications of the City of Gyaur Kala, Merv
- 16 Money
- 16 Money as a Marker of Cultural Continuity and Change in Central Asia
- 17 Some Questions Regarding the Numismatics of Pre-Islamic Merv
- 18 Monetary Circulation in Ancient Tokharistan
- 19 Money in Eastern Central Asia before AD 800
- Religion
- 20 Religious Iconography on Ancient Iranian Coins
- 21 The Fire Temple at Tash-k’irman Tepe, Chorasmia
- 22 A Tower of Silence of the Sasanian Period at Bandiyan: Some observations about Dakhmas in Zoroastrian Religion
- 23 Buddhism and Features of the Buddhist Art of Bactria-Tokharistan
- Index
- Maps
