A Roman lead votive plaque depicting the Danube... Lot 8046

A Roman lead votive plaque depicting the Danube Riders, 2nd - 3rd century A.D. Rectangular, cast lead plaque. Left and right diagonally fluted columns, above a dotted arch. Snakes in the spandrels above the arch. Within the arch a depiction of the "Danube Rider Myth" in three registers. The sun god Helios is depicted frontally at the top, riding across the firmament in a quadriga. In the middle, the two equestrian heroes (so-called Danube Riders), facing a deity in the center. Two standing figures to the side. In the lower register in the center a "feast" of three people (two of them probably the dismounted Danube riders), flanked by a couple on the right and on the left by a standing person and a hunter(?) skinning a deer hanging from a tree. Below various mystery symbols, including a snake, cock, ram and amphora. Rare, beautifully preserved and detailed example of the local cult of the lower Danube region. Surfaces with minimal incrustations. Intact without defects. Height 8.2 cm. Width 6.9 cm. Provenance: South German private collection, taken over from the estate of the grandfather who died 30 years ago. Condition: I