Silver-gilt bowl (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
| Silver-gilt bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | 7th century BCE (Julian) |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Accession No. | 74.51.4554  |
| Identifiers | The Met object ID: 243823 |
Silver-gilt bowl is a 7th century BC silver-gilt bowl. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[1] It dates to c. 725–675 BC.
Description and interpretation
[edit]The work depicts a winged deity (resembling Assyrian deities) cutting down a lion with a sword. Surrounding that is a number of animal and narrative motifs. This includes Egyptian subjects like a sphinx wearing a pschent and a lion walking over a dead man (symbolizing a pharaoh conquering his enemies). The outer band of the bowl also has a variety of motifs, and above that are inscriptions. One, "I am [the bowl] of Akestor, king of Paphos", was partly obliterated and replaced by "I am [the bowl] of Timokretes", presumably by the bowl's next owner.[1]
The bowl's significance stems from its excellent condition, high quality, and its amalgam of Egyptian, Assyrian, and Phoenician features.[1]