Hellenistic
A Greek parcel-gilt silver bowl, Eastern Hellenistic, circa 2nd - 1st century BC
Silver
Diameter: 20.9 cm; height: 4.2 cm
The shallow bowl, raised from a single sheet of silver, features a richly decorated interior with an ornate tendril frieze encircling the central leaf calyx medallion. The central medallion is...
The shallow bowl, raised from a single sheet of silver, features a richly decorated interior with an ornate tendril frieze encircling the central leaf calyx medallion. The central medallion is composed of a detailed quatrefoil ivy calyx, decorated with curved symmetrical lines and scattered dots. This rises from an eight-leaf lanceolate design. Four of the leaves feature a scale pattern, the other four, which are smaller in scale, are decorated with small circles. Pairs of tendrils emerge between each of the ivy leaves, bearing flowers buds. The medallion is encircled by a frieze of stepped embattlements between two concentric grooves.
The tendril frieze is comprised of intertwining vines which unfurl into curling leaves and small flowers decorated with smalls dots and lines. The vines emerge from a central acanthus leaf. Above and below the tendril frieze is an undulating wave motif. This ornate design has been carefully incised onto a gilded surface.
The tendril frieze is comprised of intertwining vines which unfurl into curling leaves and small flowers decorated with smalls dots and lines. The vines emerge from a central acanthus leaf. Above and below the tendril frieze is an undulating wave motif. This ornate design has been carefully incised onto a gilded surface.
Provenance
Private collection, France, acquired in the 1980s
Pierre Bergé, 16 May 2018, lot 214
Literature
This form of bowl certainly has a Near Eastern origin, but it was very popular during the Hellenistic period in many parts of the ancient world. Related examples are found in Magna Graecia, Greece, Egypt, Near East, Iran, Bactria, and as far east as Western Siberia, reflecting the far-ranging influence of Hellenism, and the movement of high quality luxury goods throughout the Hellenistic world.Examples all over the Western world generally have a smaller diameter and are mostly deeper than their lower, wider counterparts manufactured in the East, which are perfectly exemplified by our work. Floral and vegetal decorative motifs were popular and this example demonstrates the fine quality of such detailing. Such vessels were considered great luxury items.
This bowl is related to a large group of Hellenistic silver vessels of similar shape, all thought to be of Eastern origin, and often attributed as Seleucid or Parthian. A number of them are in the Getty Museum: M. Pfrommer, Metalwork from the Hellenized East: Catalogue of the Collections, Malibu, 1993, nos. 1-16.
For futher examples see J. R. Mertens, (ed.), Greece and Rome, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 80, n. 60 (from Magna Graecia). A. Oliver, (ed.), Silver for the Gods, 800 Years of Greek and Roman Silver, Toledo, 1977, pp. 80-83, n. 44-46 (Iran).
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