A sheet silver boat-shaped bowl, elliptical in plan with rounded underside, thickened rim; repoussé ornament including a band of heart-shaped motifs to the rim, two birds each with crescent above the head and tapering tail holding a bead necklace in the beak, a profile advancing lion with pointillé fur detailing, rows of S-shaped bars and rosettes, central wreath enclosing a simurgh motif.

PROVENANCE:
On the London art market since 2005; with Boisgirard and Associes, Arts d'Orient Archelolgie - Islam, Paris, 7-9 June 2006, lot 348; previously in a private collection, kept in Switzerland since the 1960s; accompanied by a copy of a metallography analysis and report by Dr Peter Northover, Begbroke Nano, Oxford University; and a copy of an expertise report.

LITERATURE:
See Harper, P.O. & Meyers, P. Silver Vessels of the Sasanian Period, New York, 1981 for discussion; Muscarella, O.W. Bronze and Iron. Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, item 428 for type; also Godard, A. The Art of Iran, London, 1965, p.214-215, ill.120 and 121, for a bottle with repoussé decoration now in the National Museum, Tehran, depicting a similar mythical animal at the base.