The thin lines that mark the top half of this large amphoriskos are on the primal end of art history, yet their application is so intricate as to reveal the care and attention to detail of the Canaanite artisan who applied them to the vessel’s exterior over 5000 years ago.
The large egg-shaped body of this amphoriskos allowed it to hold substantial amounts of liquid, be it wine, water or oil. The rich desert tones of its smooth exterior stand out boldly among the monochrome paint that scratch its surface.
Gilded silver Phiale wine ribbed bowl from the Greco-Achaemenid period, circa 500–300 BC. This luxurious vessel measures approximately 18 cm in diameter and exemplifies the opulence of fine Greek and Persian craftsmanship during this era. The bowl features a shallow, broad form with a gently flared rim, designed both for aesthetic appeal and practical use.
The surface of the bowl is richly gilded, adding a radiant golden glow that accentuates its luxurious nature. Its most distinctive feature is the ribbed design, with evenly spaced, decorative flutes encircling the exterior that create a textured, elegant pattern and enhance its visual impact. The craftsmanship demonstrates a high level of skill, combining precise metalworking techniques with ornamental artistry.
Intended as a high-status drinking vessel for ceremonial or banquet use, this gilded silver Phiale reflects the cultural exchange and artistic refinement characteristic of the Greco-Achaemenid period. The combination of precious materials and intricate decoration signifies its importance as a symbol of wealth and prestige in social or religious contexts.REFERENCE #
In translucent deep blue glass with opaque yellow and turquoise threads. The vessel has a wide everted rim edged in turquoise, a short neck and a long tubular body widening at the rounded base. A trail of yellow spirals around the upper half of the body in an anticlockwise direction. The lower half is decorated with rows of turquoise and yellow threads tooled into a zigzag pattern, three trails of yellow below. Two handles in yellow are applied towards the middle of the body.
Exhibited: San Diego Museum of Man, c. 1956
Literature: A less elegant example is illustrated in E. Marianne Stern, Birgit Schlick-Nolte, ‘Early Glass of the Ancient World, 1600 BC-AD 50. The Ernesto Wolf Collection’, (Germany, 1994) pp. 204-205.
REFERENCE #
GL_GR_1005
CIVILIZATION
Greco-Phoenician, 500 B.C.E. – 400 B.C.E.
SIZE
H. 12.4 cm
CONDITION
Intact
PRICE
Sold
PROVENANCE
Collection of the Dubois family, USA, acquired c.1920 and thence by descent.
A beautiful and graceful long necked glass flask, decorated with four concentric circles around the body. And more circles at the bottom of the neck and along it. It is a very heavy piece because of its thick walls. The circles were done by etching the glass with a stone tool.
Colorless, bubbly/mold-blown. Ground rim, neck narrowing toward bottom, square body, which at the bottom part divides into four cut wedge-shaped feet arranged around a flat bottom. The Molar bottle is a characteristic example of cut Islamic glass. Its name derives from the four wedge-shaped feet, which resemble the root of a molar tooth. In Lamm’s opinion, such bottles were manufactured in Egypt, from where they were distributed throughout the Islamic world as perfume containers. Similar bottles were also fashioned from metal and ivory. They were common in the 900 and 1000 AD, but thereafter their production was ceased. They have been found in Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria and the holy land.
This ewer is from the reign of the Ayyubid dynasty that ruled much of the Middle East for over a century starting in approximately 1100 C.E.. The Ayybuids were Islamic warriors who conquered parts of Egypt, Syria, northern Mesoptamia, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the southwestern swath of the Arabian Peninsula. In such a region, water was essential in daily life, and the cool relief that this ewer brought was not lost on those who received a glass from its long spout.
This ewer is of a recognizable shape, although the elongated mouth and the three careful holes at the neck’s top show how water was guarded preciously from being wasted in the desert. We see distinct Islamic designs that closely resemble the fluid movement of Arabic calligraphy. The crude craftsmanship gives way to the ewer’s brilliant front, designed with such intricate lines and patterns so as to lift this everyday object up beyond the everyday into a truly beautiful piece of antiquity. The ewer dates from approximately 1000 C.E. – 1200 C.E. and is 28 cm in height.
