Hallstatt Bronze Situla w/ Beautiful Decorative Reliefs

Central Europe, Hallstatt I, Late Bronze Age, ca. 1100 to 900 BCE. Impressive for its size, classic form, finely executed technique, and beautiful decorative reliefs - a Hallstatt bronze situla (Latin meaning bucket or pail) presenting an overall inverted piriform silhouette with a flared rim and twin raised loop handles attached via pointed circular rivets, all sitting upon a concave base. Charming rivets also hold the vessel walls together (comprised of three sheets) - these include a vertical row of rivets on each side running behind the handles as well as a horizontal passage securing the upper walls to the section contiguous with the base below (most visible from the interior but nearly invisible on the exterior). Imbuing this vessel with great beauty is the fine decoration created in repousse; these include linear and beaded borders surrounding a wide register of three pairs of circular bas relief button-like motifs that are surrounded by crest-like dotted enclosures on each side. A stupendous example, perhaps created as a special funerary offering. Size: 12" W handlespan x 11" H (30.5 cm x 27.9 cm)

Hallstatt culture developed from the earlier Urnfield culture, and would progress into the later La Tene culture, which is often called Celtic. However, these names and classifications have been imposed upon ancient peoples by archaeologists and historians (Hallstatt, for example, takes its name from the type site, which is located in Austria southeast of Salzburg). Roughly 2700 years ago, these people lived in small groups, probably loosely confederated for trading purposes but engaging in frequent warfare. Elites controlled powerful hillforts and revered the horse, traveling by and perhaps warring with chariots. They were buried with beautiful bronze vessels like this example.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, collected in the 1970s

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#146870
Condition Report: There is a small (~one inch) stable pressure crack running down the rim. Otherwise, the vessel is intact, and the decorative program is very well preserved as is the overall form. Normal surface wear commensurate with age, but this simply adds to its charm, along with a rich deep green patina with areas of blue-green azurite patina.