GREEK HELLENISTIC SILVER PHIALE

Circa 400 BC. The central omphalos surrounded by eighteen petals alternating with eighteen tear-shaped lobes of a lotus flower. The exterior with eighteen petals in relief. 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. Cf. Mahboubian, Art of Ancient Iran: Copper and Bronze, London, 1997, no.321, p.246; also the type is found in Greek phialai such as the example from Asia Minor, now in Berlin, cf. Strong, D. E., Greek and Roman Silver Plate, New York, 1966, pl.9A.Size: L:135mm / W:50mm ; 70gProvenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in early 2000s in Belgium; previously in 1970s European collection.