Lobed elliptical bowl

Exterior plain. Interior is decorated with repoussé pattern of vases and grapevines. The central and side lobes are gilded on the interior. Weight: 202.9 g.

Historical period(s)
Sasanian period, 7th century
Medium
Silver and gilt
Dimensions
H x W x D (overall): 4.5 x 19.2 x 12.8 cm (1 3/4 x 7 9/16 x 5 1/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.116
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
gilding, hammering, Iran, repousse, Sasanian period (ca. 224 - 651), WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Exterior plain. Interior is decorated with repoussé pattern of vases and grapevines. The central and side lobes are gilded on the interior. Weight: 202.9 g.

Label

Wine bowls of elliptical shape formed an important category of silver vessels made in Iran and its neighbors during the sixth and seventh centuries. These bowls were often decorated with images of tigers, panthers, or vegetation. Such imagery was associated with the Greek god Dionysos, whose cult spread over a wide area of the eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia.

Published References
  • Massoume Price. Ancient Iran. Culture of Iran Youth Series, 1st Edition. .
  • Ann C. Gunter, Paul Jett. Ancient Iranian Metalwork in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art. Washington and Mainz, Germany, 1992. cat. 30, pp. 43, 180-1.
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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