Greek Hellenistic Silver Libation Bowl w/ Omphalos
Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. late 4th to 3rd century BCE. A delicate 97.5% silver phiale, a special libation bowl used for holding wine, with a hollow, rounded, raised boss, known as an omphalos, in the center. The omphalos is thought to have symbolized the navel of the earth, the central point of power that all things revolved around. The bowl is bulbous on its lower two-thirds before abruptly flaring out to form a wide mouth. Etched delicately around the shoulder just below that flaring mouth is a band of vertical, abstract acanthus leaves. Size: 5.45" W x 2.5" H (13.8 cm x 6.4 cm); silver is 97.5%; total weight: 64.2 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 East Coast, USA collection; ex-Neil Phillips collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1990s
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.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#152783 Dimensions: Condition Report: Repaired on base with some small losses along the repair lines and some small areas (as shown on the underside) where new material was added to create the repairs. Also a small area of loss under the rim on one side. Slight bending to form, notably around the rim, with tiny nicks and scratches on surface. Patina has been cleaned in some places but remains in others. Overall form is well preserved and the decorative details are also in very nice condition.
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Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. late 4th to 3rd century BCE. A delicate 97.5% silver phiale, a special libation bowl used for holding wine, with a hollow, rounded, raised boss, known as an omphalos, in the center. The omphalos is thought to have symbolized the navel of the earth, the central point of power that all things revolved around. The bowl is bulbous on its lower two-thirds before abruptly flaring out to form a wide mouth. Etched delicately around the shoulder just below that flaring mouth is a band of vertical, abstract acanthus leaves. Size: 5.45" W x 2.5" H (13.8 cm x 6.4 cm); silver is 97.5%; total weight: 64.2 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 East Coast, USA collection; ex-Neil Phillips collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1990s
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.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#152783 Dimensions: Condition Report: Repaired on base with some small losses along the repair lines and some small areas (as shown on the underside) where new material was added to create the repairs. Also a small area of loss under the rim on one side. Slight bending to form, notably around the rim, with tiny nicks and scratches on surface. Patina has been cleaned in some places but remains in others. Overall form is well preserved and the decorative details are also in very nice condition.
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