Spouted vessel with lion protome

Object Details

• Description

  Rhyton with lion protome and elongated, trumpet-shaped horn. Gilded vine leaf scroll around upper part of horn, below rim; gilded acanthus leaf pattern extends along underside of horn. Lion's back, legs and tail, in lower relief and gilded, extend upwards on horn.

  Protome in the form of a lion, made separately; now missing ring that would have covered join. Mane, paws, whiskers, tongue, eyebrows, and pupils gilded. Small swirl patterns at inner ends of eyebrows.Swirl-like patterned ear. Central lock of mane in front extends to center of forehead just above nose.

  Spout, between forelegs of lion, broken off; originally a tubular spout.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran (February 4, 2012 - ongoing)

  Nomads and Nobility: Art from the Ancient Near East (September 28, 1987 to November 1, 1992)

• Origin

  Iran

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Sackler Gallery 21: Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s, 100s

• Topic

  Gilding, Hammering, Silver, Parthian period (247 BCE - 224 CE), Cats, Art, Animals, Ancient Near Eastern Art, Chasing, Metal-work

• Culture

  Iranians, Middle Easterners

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes