Sale: Nomos 3 & 4, Lot: 147. Estimate CHF2750.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 May 2011.  Sold For CHF4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LYDIA, Sardes. 2nd-3rd Century . Diassarion (Bronze, 22mm, 5.22 g 6). Bearded head of Herakles to left. Rev. CΑΡΔΙ - ΑΝΩΝ Omphale standing right with lion’s skin over her shoulders, holding club in her left hand and her drapery with her right. BMC 79. SNG Copenhagen 509. SNG von Aulock 3140. A splendid piece, with a fine, glossy, dark green patina. Struck in high relief and especially attractive. Good extremely fine.

From a Swiss private collection.

Omphale, a mythical queen of Lydia, received Herakles to do her bidding for a year in punishment for his murder of Iphytus. He even had to help her with her spinning, and she, as we see here, wore his lion’s skin and wielded his club. Struck by his charm she later freed and married him, and their children were the ancestors of the later Heraclid dynasty of Sardis.