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LOT 1309
Achaemenid Bronze Phiale Mesomphalos
6TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
6 1/2 in. (167 grams, 16.5 cm).
With flanged rim, central mesomphalos boss surrounded by radiating lotus petals.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Godard, F., The Art of Iran, London, 1965, for discussion.
FootnotesPhiale mesomphalos (literally: bowl with central boss) were the most popular form of vessel and were produced in a number of materials, including clay, bronze, silver and gold. They are a distinctive type of Achaemenid tableware, made by hammering or raising sheet metal, with decoration added in repoussé. They were used in banquets held by the nobility and for pouring libations at religious festivals. Phiales of this kind were a common gift from the Achaemenid king to the nobility which helped cement alliances among the different tribes of the Empire. The central boss to the underside allowed the user to secure their fingers and ensure a solid grip whilst drinking or pouring.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
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Elamite Silver Beaker with Three Ibexes
Circa 2500-1500 B.C.Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £12,500
Raised from a single sheet, conical in form with concave body and everted rim; the body, executed in repoussè technique and chased details, decorated by a frieze of three male ibexes, rows of ovules under the rim and beneath the animals; the beasts with muscular bodies and curving horns, each reaching for a flower hanging from above, and eight-petalled flower to the base; late Elamite or Marlik; repaired. 148 grams, 11.7 cm high
Acquired in New York, USA, 1966. Private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12167-220488. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This splendid vessel, decorated with a design possibly of Elamite origin, probably originates from North-Western Iran, or from southern Caspian area. Hammered sheet vessels were produced in Western Iranian metal workshops since the 3rd millennium B.C. (Moorey, Bunker, Porada, Markoe, 1981, p.82). -
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Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1988. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. Accompanied by a copy of a previous two page illustrated cataloguing note. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Western Asiatic Gold Bead Group
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