Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 1. – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1960)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Thomas Edit, B.: Medaillion Applications on Pannonian Vessels. I, 1960. p. 71–76. XLII–XLIII.

7.S to outline the geographical limits of extension, between which the various kinds of vessels decorated with embossed disks are occurring. Most of the embossed medallions published in the study of R. Pagenstecher are of Egyptian origin.

2il Wetzinger

27 and Ruber sohn

28 look for the evolution of the Hellenistic „Plakettenhydrien" in Egypt, too. We must consider the vessels with medallion applications in Pannónia and Gallia as signs of a late renaissance of the Hellenistic ornamental device. It may be that the Pannoniam, specimens of disks preserved the eastern elements in this decorative method better than the similar Gallián pieces. Now let us try to establish the place of origin of this specific fashion of embellishing vessels, defining our above statement as regards its derivation from the Hellenistic cultural circle and its eastern origin more exactly. There is an area which doubtless influenced the development of late Roman art and culture strongly, nevertheless its effect used to be noticed and estimated but rarely in its real significance; that is the art of the Persian-Sassanid Empire, beginning to flourish in the first decades of the third century. The rule of the Sassanid House, beginning with 226 A. D., represented a national renaissance in Persia, as compared with the previous Hellenistic Seleucid and Arsacid ages. Though the principal elements of Sassanid art may be derived from the Hellenistic basic forms, it has nevertheless a strong individual character. Persian-Sassanid influence on the Roman an provincial material is generally scantily dealt with; we think, however, and regard it as proved by analogies that the third century diffusion of vessels with medallions cannot be separated from this influence. The characteristic style, developping in the then most powerful Sassanid Empire, extends towards the West and it appears in the Roman Empire as a fashion.. Naturally its trend points first of all towards the ports, where an immediate connexion can be established with the provinces of the Roman Empire. For the time being we can only suggest the direction, naming the shores of the Mediterranean, North Africa, Italy, Gallia and Hispánia as areas where Roman finds are occurring, apt to be connected with the Sassanid circle. — Although many data are still missing, we have to make the first steps towards] selecting the factors and characteristic features, originating probably in the Sassanid circle, from the archaeological material of Roman times. K. Erdmann, dating the so-called Pegasus-cup in Berlin, or rather correcting the date of the erroneously defined pieces, presents a group of the 23 Ibid. 154, 165. 27 WATZINGER, Berliner Phil. Wochenschrift (1910) 725. 28 RUBENSOHN, Hellenistisches Siltoergerät 24, p. 4. 29 К. ERDMANN, JDAI (1950/611) 1,19—. Sassanid vessels with medallion applications. All the presented pieces are made of smoke-grey glass, the diameter of the medallions applied to them is 35—40 mm, their thickness varies between 3—6 mm. The vessel ornamented with four disks (PI. XLIII, 1) is preserved in the Curtis Collection Museum Toledo (Ohio, USA); each of its medallions shows the embossed portrait of a stylized cock with rich tailwings.

30 Another vase (PI. XLIII, 5) figures in K. Erdmann's study without further details. A cup decorated also with disks showing cocks (PL XLIII, 6) is from the Daschnitz collection in Vienna. Some medallions serving as applications on vessels are known from the collection of the Musée Arabe in Cairo;

31 the two specimens presented here (PÎ. XLIII, 2—3) are preserved in Berlin, Islamische Abteilung. Cock-like animals, holding branches in their beaks, or picking up berries, are favourite ornamental motives of the Sassanid decorative circle, preferred for medallion applications. The Coptic Kuchenstempel (Pl. XLIII, 4) presented by E. Mercklin

32 comes quite near to the Pannonian disks. As to. measures it surpasses the Pannonian specimens with its 11.5 cm diameter, but as to subject-matter, i. e. a cock with a branch or a spike, it is related to ours. E. Mercklin dates the piece to the sixth or the seventh century, but we think an earlier date more probable. We have drawn the broad outlines of the circle whence we wanted to deduce our Pannonian medallion applications. We ought to say a few words on the animal world represented in the portraits. The Aquincum negative shows a running antelope never seen in Pannónia. We have quoted numerous eastern analogies to the stylized cock of the Marton vásár— Szentlásizlópuszta positive disk. The bird pictured in the other mould, resembling a peafowl, a grouse or a pheasant, belonging to the family of gallinaceans, is not a strange one, but a favoured motive of Sassanid ornaments. The dog of the Brigetio negative is very frequently occurring in the portraits of hunting scenes: all over the empire. As we have seen, the animals depicted in our medallions are missing from the treasure of disk motives arranged by J. Déchelette entirely.

33 Nor do we meet a similar marking of trees, leaves or grass, in one word the surroundings. Consequently the animal world, the mode of portrayal, the border of pearls and generally the decoration of wessels with disks have an eastern character. We have two bases for the datation of Pannonian specimens. One is the ceramic material of the socalled Gerhát potter's settlement at Brigetio which 30 Ibid. 121, 1. 6. 31 Ibid. Fig. 12. 32 E. MERCKLIN,, JDAI Anzeiger (1940) 58. 33 J. DÉCHELETTE, op. cit. 1301—.