A BRONZE BEAKER DEPICTING A COURTLY SCENE WITH A KING AND HIS ATTENDANTS, SASANIAN DYNASTY (224-651
A BRONZE BEAKER DEPICTING A COURTLY SCENE WITH A KING AND HIS ATTENDANTS, SASANIAN DYNASTY (224-651 AD)
Iran. The tall waisted sides form rising from a slightly spreading foot to an everted rim. The exterior is finely engraved with an elaborate courtly scene to each side, dominated by a majestic, frontally seated king to both sides, the bearded ruler wears a monumental winged and plumed crown, a richly ornamented robe, and an elaborate collar centered by a circular medallion. Seated cross-legged upon a cushioned throne, flanked by rams, he holds a long sword horizontally across his lap and a bowl in his the other hand. The lower register depicts kneeling courtiers presenting offerings at a royal banquet, including a platter of game and a pyramidal arrangement of fruit. Further attendants, animals, and courtly figures wearing distinctive caps continue around the sides.
Scientific Analysis: X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) of the present vessel identified a leaded tin-bronze composed principally of copper, with 10.6% tin (Sn) and 11.7% lead (Pb), while zinc (Zn) was below the detection threshold of 0.1%. The analysis further recorded 2.1% silicon (Si) and 0.5% aluminum (Al), both light elements commonly encountered in the corrosion layers and mineral deposits of archaeological bronzes.
The results indicate a traditional copper-tin-lead alloy, technologically well suited to the production of cast vessels: tin increases the hardness of copper, while the substantial addition of lead improves the fluidity of the molten metal and facilitates successful casting. Such leaded tin-bronze compositions are fully compatible with ancient and late antique metalworking traditions, including those of the Sasanian period. No element detected by XRF is inconsistent with the proposed dating.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum, acquired in the mid-1990s in London, United Kingdom.
Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia's prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and manufacturing irregularities. Little warping, few nicks to the rim and foot. The bronze has a dark, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations.
Weight: 708 g
Dimensions: Height 24.9 cm
The Sasanian dynasty of Iran ruled an area from the Euphrates River to Bactria from the third century AD until the Islamic conquest in the seventh century, controlling for much of that time the Silk Route from Byzantium to China.
The present bronze cup depicting a Sasanian king is an exquisite example of Sasanian metalwork. The powerful stare and characteristic arched nose of the king seem to suggest that the artist was attempting to convey a sense of majesty rather than an individual likeness. The identity of the subject of such representations, in relief or in the round, can often be determined by comparison of facial features and details of the crown with those of kings portrayed on Sasanian coins of the period.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related but much earlier bronze beaker with archer and bull, Luristan (present-day Iran), c. 10th-9th century BC, 13.2 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 48.178.1. Compare a related silver head of a king, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. 4th century, 40 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 65.126. Compare a related bronze bust, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), 4th century, in the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, Sweden, inventory number BEK 1960.04. Compare a related silver plate with king hunting rams, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. mid-5th to mid-6th century, 21.9 cm diameter, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 34.33.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Zacke Vienna, 16 December 2025, lot 319
Price:
EUR 8,450
Description: A bronze cup depicting a courtly scene with king and attendants, Sasanian empire, circa 4th-5th century
Expert remark: Compare the related bronze vessel with a similar courtly scene and provenance. Note the size (17.3 cm) and form.
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A BRONZE BEAKER DEPICTING A COURTLY SCENE WITH A KING AND HIS ATTENDANTS, SASANIAN DYNASTY (224-651 AD)
Iran. The tall waisted sides form rising from a slightly spreading foot to an everted rim. The exterior is finely engraved with an elaborate courtly scene to each side, dominated by a majestic, frontally seated king to both sides, the bearded ruler wears a monumental winged and plumed crown, a richly ornamented robe, and an elaborate collar centered by a circular medallion. Seated cross-legged upon a cushioned throne, flanked by rams, he holds a long sword horizontally across his lap and a bowl in his the other hand. The lower register depicts kneeling courtiers presenting offerings at a royal banquet, including a platter of game and a pyramidal arrangement of fruit. Further attendants, animals, and courtly figures wearing distinctive caps continue around the sides.
Scientific Analysis: X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) of the present vessel identified a leaded tin-bronze composed principally of copper, with 10.6% tin (Sn) and 11.7% lead (Pb), while zinc (Zn) was below the detection threshold of 0.1%. The analysis further recorded 2.1% silicon (Si) and 0.5% aluminum (Al), both light elements commonly encountered in the corrosion layers and mineral deposits of archaeological bronzes.
The results indicate a traditional copper-tin-lead alloy, technologically well suited to the production of cast vessels: tin increases the hardness of copper, while the substantial addition of lead improves the fluidity of the molten metal and facilitates successful casting. Such leaded tin-bronze compositions are fully compatible with ancient and late antique metalworking traditions, including those of the Sasanian period. No element detected by XRF is inconsistent with the proposed dating.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum, acquired in the mid-1990s in London, United Kingdom.
Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia's prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and manufacturing irregularities. Little warping, few nicks to the rim and foot. The bronze has a dark, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations.
Weight: 708 g
Dimensions: Height 24.9 cm
The Sasanian dynasty of Iran ruled an area from the Euphrates River to Bactria from the third century AD until the Islamic conquest in the seventh century, controlling for much of that time the Silk Route from Byzantium to China.
The present bronze cup depicting a Sasanian king is an exquisite example of Sasanian metalwork. The powerful stare and characteristic arched nose of the king seem to suggest that the artist was attempting to convey a sense of majesty rather than an individual likeness. The identity of the subject of such representations, in relief or in the round, can often be determined by comparison of facial features and details of the crown with those of kings portrayed on Sasanian coins of the period.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related but much earlier bronze beaker with archer and bull, Luristan (present-day Iran), c. 10th-9th century BC, 13.2 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 48.178.1. Compare a related silver head of a king, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. 4th century, 40 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 65.126. Compare a related bronze bust, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), 4th century, in the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, Sweden, inventory number BEK 1960.04. Compare a related silver plate with king hunting rams, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. mid-5th to mid-6th century, 21.9 cm diameter, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 34.33.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Zacke Vienna, 16 December 2025, lot 319
Price:
EUR 8,450
Description: A bronze cup depicting a courtly scene with king and attendants, Sasanian empire, circa 4th-5th century
Expert remark: Compare the related bronze vessel with a similar courtly scene and provenance. Note the size (17.3 cm) and form.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
