Coin of Kushan King Vima Kadphises (100–200s CE): Art, History and Details

Coin of Kushan King Vima Kadphises (100–200s CE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This gold coin represents the reigns of the Kushana ruler, Vima Kadphises. The coin bears a portrait of the ruler on the obverse and various deities on the reverse. It is identified by an inscription in Kharosthi, the language used in northwestern India during the Kushan period. The reverse depicts the figure of Hercules with the skin of the Nemean lion draped over his forearm and the lion's scalp also worn over his head. The Kushans primarily identified with Zoroastrian religious practice, but imagery on their coins and the religious groups they sponsored suggest they were ecumenical--open to supporting a wide range of sects.

Object facts

• Title: Coin of Kushan King Vima Kadphises
• Date: 100–200s CE
• Culture: India, Mathura, Kushan period
• Type: Coins
• Technique: gold
• Dimensions: Diameter: 2.2 cm (7/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art - Kushan, Mathura
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1999.225

Collection credit

Anonymous Gift

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.