Collection record · Small worlds
Hemidrachm: Gorgoneion (obverse); Bull (reverse)
The collection record classifies this work as coins. It is dated c. 400 BCE. Recorded culture or place: Greek, minted at Parion (Mysia).
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Hemidrachm: Gorgoneion (obverse); Bull (reverse)
- Date
- c. 400 BCE
- Culture / origin
- Greek, minted at Parion (Mysia)
- Materials and technique
- silver
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1917.991
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
Like the coins of several other ancient cities, those of Parion feature the gorgoneion, or frontal face of Medusa, surrounded by serpents. On the reverse, a bull looks back across its body, with the letters Ρ Ι between its legs. More centrally struck examples preserve two more letters above—Π Α, to give ΠΑΡΙ (PARI), identifying the mint of Parion. The name recalls that of the Cycladic island Paros, one of Parion’s colonizers (with Miletos and Erythrae).
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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