Vima Kadphises (reverse) (50–78 CE): Art, History and Details

Vima Kadphises (reverse) (50–78 CE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

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: Vima Kadphises (reverse)
• Date: 50–78 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.b

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.