Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. late 4th to 2nd century BCE. Wow! One of the most beautiful libation bowls we've seen, this example is made of 97% silver, with gorgeous gilded details and the personal touch of an Aramaic inscription. The bowl is shallow, with wide, sloping sides, and a rolled, slightly thicker rim. On its exterior, on one side of the rim, are punched letters, perhaps someone's name. Based on the presence of the inscription, it seems likely that this item was exported from Persia to one of the centers of the Greek East, like Antioch. In the interior is a large, six-petaled flower motif, with each petal gilded; surrounding this is a border of simple waves, also gilded. The wave motif repeats on the interior just underneath the rim, also gilded. Size: 8.05" W x 1.75" H (20.4 cm x 4.4 cm); silver is 97% pure; total weight: 406.4 grams
Libation bowls, known as phiale, were used across a wide geographical area - from Greece to Tibet, throughout the ancient Near East and Central Asia. These shallow bowls for holding wine in ritual and ceremonial settings were made from many materials - glass, ceramic, and many kinds of metal. Royal vessels were made of precious metals, like this one. They functioned both as tableware and as wealth - they could be stored in the royal treasury or given as gifts to people they were hoping to influence.
Exhibited in "Dressed to Kill in Love and War: Splendor in the Ancient World", February 1 - March 31, 2019, Academy Art Museum, Maryland, USA, published in the exhibition guide by Sarah E. Cox and Anke Van Wagenberg, fig. 34.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; Exhibited in "Dressed to Kill in Love and War: Splendor in the Ancient World", February 1 - March 31, 2019, Academy Art Museum, Maryland, USA, published in the exhibition guide by Sarah E. Cox and Anke Van Wagenberg, fig. 34; ex-Christie's, New York Antiquities auction (sale 2605, December 5, 2012, lot 52); ex-Gorny & Mosch (June 22, 2007, lot 37); ex-private London collection, acquired in the 1990s or earlier
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#146247
Condition
Wear and pitting on surface commensurate with age, as well as some slight bending to form, mainly to the edges. Gilt is in nice condition for its age. Inscription is worn but still readable in some areas. Dark patina in some places.