ostracon ancient art
catalogue

Western Greek 'Gilded' Phiale, Late 4th Century BC

Rare libation bowl with twelve egg-shaped cavities around the central omphalos. The recesses served to hold votive eggs.

On the inside of the segmented rim twelve neatly modeled youthful heads with Phrygian caps.

Egg-and-dart decoration along the rim, on top and around the base of the omphalos.

The surface is covered with a yellow wash to imitate metal prototypes.

Surviving counterparts are connected with Tarentum, where toreutic workshops were particularly flourishing in the Late Classic period.

For a related example, cf. acc. no. 19.192.73 in the Metropolitan Museum database.

Pristine preservation. Recontituted from large fragments. Dendrite-like soil deposits in places.

D. 21.5 cm (8.5 in)

Ex Swiss private collection since the late 1980s.

4800 USD