Greek Hellenistic Gilt Silver Phiale w/ Deer, Waves

Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 2nd century BCE. Wow! One of the most beautiful libation bowls we've seen, this example is made of 95% silver, with the personal touch of a gilded ring with very lightly incised wave motifs encircling the interior just below the rim and a graceful, incised deer in tondo. The bowl is shallow, with wide, sloping sides, and a rolled, slightly thicker rim. The deer's body is shown walking, with its lifelike back legs and hooves clearly shown. Based on similar known bowls with the repeated wave motif, it seems likely that this item was exported from Persia to one of the centers of the Greek East, like Antioch. Size: 8" W x 2" H (20.3 cm x 5.1 cm); 8.7" H (22.1 cm) on included custom stand; quality of silver is 95%; total weight: 272.3 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.

Provenance: private Connecticut, USA collection; ex-private German collection, 1960s to 1984

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#152770 Dimensions: Condition Report: Area of restoration in the center as shown which partially obscures the animal at center, notably its head. Patina has been cleaned from most of the surface. Light deposits, especially around the rim and on the underside.