Sasanian gilt silver bowl
€38,000
available
Object number
AR3469
| Object: |
Sasanian partial gilt silver bowl
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| Material: |
Silver with a percentage of copper. Partial thin gold coating.
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| Period: |
6th to 7th century AD. period of Sasanian rule, Late Antiquity. |
| Description: |
Oval bowl with a round base and an almost lipless rim. The wall is elaborately hammered into an abstract leaf shape. The tondo shows a central gilded bas-relief of a dancing woman holding a sash over her head. The rim is decorated on the inside with a repeating sequence of reliefs, each consisting of two heads facing each other and two flowers. There are also reliefs on the outside below the rim, with the motifs of facing heads and flowers complemented by birds facing each other. The silver bowl is a truly magnificent example of Sassanid craftsmanship of the highest quality. |
| Background: |
The Sasanian silver wares are a favourite in today's collections. They exemplify the imagery and skill employed by Sasanian artists. Plates such as this were hammered into shape and then gilded. The Sassanids became the dominant power in the Near East after their conquest against the Parthians in 220 AD and remained so until the Arab conquest in 642 AD, or politically until the death of the last King Yazdegerd III in 651 AD. This second Persian empire spanned much of modern-day Iran and Iraq, expanding its cultural and economic influence throughout the Near East. The religion of the Sassanids was Zoroastrianism, which is based on the teachings of Zarathustra (Greek spelling Zoroaster). This is still reflected today in a variety of ways in the surviving artefacts. |
| Dimensions: |
Oval with 17.6cm and 13.5cm diameter. 4.3cm to 5.0cm height.
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| Condition: |
Perfect condition. Wonderfully preserved, solid body, and razor-sharp decorations on the inside and outside. Clearly visible remaining gilding on the central inside figure. Black and greenish patina in places on the surface of the bowl.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 on the US American art market. Previously in the US American private collection of I. Kashanian. Imported from Iran to the USA in 1969. Acquired previously in Iran. The bowl was offered by Sotheby's New York in the 11 June 2010 auction "Antiquities" as lot 49. It was estimated at 30,000 USD to 50,000 USD, equivalent to 40,000 EUR to 70,000 EUR at the time, and remained unsold. |
| References: |
For other examples of Sasanian silver-gilt bowls see K. Erdmann, Die Kunst Irans zur Zeit der Sasaniden, nos. 59 to 75. For another example from the art trade, see Sotheby's auction 1 March 1984, lot 224. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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