RARE EASTERN GREEK SILVER PHIALE WITH CUNEIFORM SCRIPT

RARE EASTERN GREEK SILVER PHIALE WITH CUNEIFORM SCRIPT
Ca. 500 BC. A heavy cast silver phiale, a special libation vessel used for holding wine, with a hollow, rounded, raised boss, known as an omphalos at the centre. The lower part of the bowl is scalloped, leading to a corseted neck adorned with incised teardrop motifs that encircle it. The neck flares outward into a wide, smooth mouth with an unpronounced rim. A cuneiform inscription is present near the edge of the rim. A similar example hammered for $8,225 at Christie's, Live Auction 9380, Antiquities, 13 June 2000, Lot 499. For similar see: The British Museum, Museum number 1994,0127.1, Muscarella O. W., Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988, n. cat. 327. A similar example hammered for $8,225 at Christie's, Live Auction 9380, Antiquities, 13 June 2000, Lot 499. Size: 245mm x 45mm; Weight: 485g. Provenance: Private UK collection, acquired from the private collection of Mr. R. Unger; previously with a London gallery; acquired in the 1970s on the UK art market. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.