Roman Bronze Patera w/ Swan Handle

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A handsome cast bronze patera, a rare find as the handle and bowl of such vessels are more often found separately. This is a complete vessel with a characteristically shallow, round bowl with a flanged, rounded rim. The handle is broad and strap-shaped and terminates in a hook shaped like the head and neck of a swan. In ancient times, a patera would have been used to serve food and drink at symposia/dinner parties or as is an offering dish to pour libations of wine and other liquids at religious ceremonies. An example like this one, with such high quality bronze and an ornate zoomorphic head finial, was most likely used in rituals. Size: 13.4" L x 7.95" W x 2.25" H (34 cm x 20.2 cm x 5.7 cm)

See a comparable example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1989.281.87) - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255965

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Dr. Martin Peretz collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#145228
Condition Report: Handle has been reattached, with restoration of the bronze where it meets the body and around the bowl. Handle itself is in very nice condition. Dark patina on both.