Ancient Achaemenid Silver Libation Bowl
Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 500 to 330 BCE. A handsome silver bowl of a hemispherical form, presenting a round yet stable base and impressively thin walls that rise to a broad, circular mouth with a rolled rim above a shallow basin. Lovely russet and green patina speckles the surface of this fine vessel, imbuing it with an elegant presentation evocative of the ancient world! Size: 6.6" Diameter x 1.8" H (16.8 cm x 4.6 cm); silver quality: 90%; weight: 175.3 grams
The Achaemenid love of silver and gold was famous throughout the ancient world. Plato wrote of how the acquisition of gold and silver was considered a virtue while Alcibiades, another Athenian, wrote of the enormous wealth in gold and silver that the Persians had. 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. 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. Bowls like this one are remarkably similar across the Achaemenid Empire, as they were used by the elite across the Empire to signify their membership in a rarified club of powerful people.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#135169
Condition Report: Loss to 2 small areas of walls with 1 showing fissure extending from rim. Expected scratches and abrasions commensurate with age and use, as shown. Otherwise, very nice with rich patina.
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Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 500 to 330 BCE. A handsome silver bowl of a hemispherical form, presenting a round yet stable base and impressively thin walls that rise to a broad, circular mouth with a rolled rim above a shallow basin. Lovely russet and green patina speckles the surface of this fine vessel, imbuing it with an elegant presentation evocative of the ancient world! Size: 6.6" Diameter x 1.8" H (16.8 cm x 4.6 cm); silver quality: 90%; weight: 175.3 grams
The Achaemenid love of silver and gold was famous throughout the ancient world. Plato wrote of how the acquisition of gold and silver was considered a virtue while Alcibiades, another Athenian, wrote of the enormous wealth in gold and silver that the Persians had. 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. 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. Bowls like this one are remarkably similar across the Achaemenid Empire, as they were used by the elite across the Empire to signify their membership in a rarified club of powerful people.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#135169
Condition Report: Loss to 2 small areas of walls with 1 showing fissure extending from rim. Expected scratches and abrasions commensurate with age and use, as shown. Otherwise, very nice with rich patina.
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