Drachm (Coin) Portraying King Orodes I 57-37 BCE

This Drachm coin, portraying King Orodes I, is an anonymous work of impressive detail within a very small format. The coin is bisected into two, with each side exhibiting distinct visual elements. The first side, featuring the king's profile, employs linear precision to capture the intricate details of his headdress and facial features. Notice how the artist uses compressed space to convey the king's authority, filling the frame with his presence, the linear inscription becomes a field, an abstract expression, and together they articulate a powerful message about identity, status and cultural values. This piece invites us to consider how objects, irrespective of their scale, can encapsulate complex ideas. In the second side, we see an archer within a field of inscriptions. The archer is depicted in a tense pose, ready to strike. As a whole, it is not just a coin but also a signifier, a symbol of royal power, economic exchange, and cultural identity.