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A Greek and Roman Treoasuy
BY DIETRICH VON BOTHMER
Chairman, of Greek
Department andRomanArt

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin ®
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin
Volume XLII, Number 1 (ISSN 0026-1521)
Publishedquarterly? 1984 byThe MetropolitanMuseumof Art, Fifth
Avenueand 82nd Street, New York,N.Y. 10028. Second-classpostage
paid at New York,N.Y. and Additional Mailing Offices. The Metro-
politan Museum of Art Bulletin is provided as a benefit to Museum
members and availableby subscription. Subscriptions $18.00 a year.
Single copies $4.75. Fourweeks'notice requiredfor changeof address.
POSTMASTER: Send addresschangesto MembershipDepartment,The
MetropolitanMuseumof Art, Fifth Avenueat 82nd Street, New York,
N.Y. 10028. Backissuesavailableon microfilm,from UniversityMicro-
films, 313 N. First Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Volumes I-XXVIII
(1905-1942) availableas a clothbound reprintset or as individualyearly
Summer 1984
volumes from The Ayer Company,Publishers,Inc., 99 Main Street,
Salem, N.H. 03079, or from the Museum, Box 700, Middle Village,
N.Y. 11379. GeneralManagerof Publications:John P. O'Neill. Editor
in Chief of the Bulletin:Joan Holt. Associate Editor: JoannaEkman.
Photography of the Treasuryobjects by WalterJ. F. Yee, Chief Pho-
tographer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Photograph Studio.
Design: Bruce Campbell.
On thecover:Scyllahurlinga rock, a parcel-giltemblema(no. 95). Inside
front cover:Detail of a swordsheath(no. 91). Insidebackcover:Detail of a
silverhandle (no. 130). Backcover:Parcel-giltpyxis (no. 101).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin ®
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Director's Note
One of the privilegesof the directorof the Metropolitan
Museumis to enjoy,with a certaindegreeof impartiality, the
whole of this institution'smagnificentcollections.I regard
them as makingup one immensetreasury.There aretimes,
however,whenit is impossibleto hold suchanunbiasedview
of the collections.The new installationof GreekandRoman
gold andsilverobjectscelebratedin thisBulletincausesme to
considerthe numberof enclaveswithin this "immensetrea-
sury"thatthemselvesbringtogetherluxuriousobjectsmade
of the most preciousmaterialsand executedwith consum-
mate craftsmanship.The splendidchurchtreasuriesin the
galleriesof the Departmentof MedievalArt and at The
Cloisters,with their refulgentenamelsand finelywrought
chalices,come to mind immediately.Equallyresplendentare
the gold andsilverobjectsof Pre-Columbiancivilizationsof
the Americasexhibitedin the MichaelC. RockefellerWing
and the eighteenth-centurysilverobjects from Franceand
England displayedin the galleriesof the Departmentof
EuropeanSculptureand DecorativeArts. In other collec-
tions in the Museum,importantconcentrationsof precious
materialshavebeen integratedinto their culturalcontexts;
these include the gold jewelry and paraphernaliaof the
Egyptianpharaohsand their queens, particularlythose of
Dynasty 18, exhibited in the Egyptian Galleriesand the
Achaemenidand Sasaniansilver vessels on displayin the
recentlycompletedinstallationof ancientNearEasternart.
For many visitors the Greek and Roman Treasurywill
providea firstcontactwith the wealthof the ancientclassical
world. It will proveto be a uniqueanddazzlingexperience:
on displayhere arenot only magnificentceremonialobjects
for offerings to the gods but also splendidutilitarianones
for the more mundane rituals of the banquet, the sym-
posium,andthe toilette.
The foundationof our Greekand RomanTreasuryis the
metalworkacquiredthroughLuigiPalmadi Cesnolaasearly
as 1874. Since then this collectionhas grown throughgifts
by private individuals, including Walter C. Baker, and
throughpurchases,mainlythoseof the department'spresent
chairman,Dietrichvon Bothmer.An eloquenttestimonyto
Dr. von Bothmer'sacumenmaybe found in the qualityand
range of his acquisitionsand in the exceedinglygenerous
supporthe has elicitedfrom collectorsandother friendsof
the Departmentof Greekand RomanArt. The Greekand
RomanTreasury,representingthe glorious culminationof
years of gifts and purchases,is extraordinaryboth in the
aggregateand in its individualpieces, as CharlesFroom's
installationsuccessfullyrevealsand as the illustrationsand
textsin this publicationamplydemonstrate.
The realization of the Museum's most recent and
ambitioustreasuryinstallationwas madepossible through
the generosityof Gayfrydand SaulSteinbergand Reliance
GroupHoldings, Inc. Mr. Steinberg'sspecialand continu-
ing interest in the Museum's permanent collections is
deeplyappreciated.
PHILIPPE DE MONTEBELLO
Director
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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 I/4
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A'
A Greek andRoman Treasury
Of the five metals deemed precious today-gold, silver,
palladium,irridium,andplatinum-only the firsttwo, gold
and silver,have been esteemedsince remote antiquityand
enteredmost languagesin a varietyof expressions.Wespeak
of the GoldenAge, the GoldenLegendof the Saints(Legen-
daAurea),the golden mean, and the golden rule;there are
golden hours, golden weddings, and, of course, the gold
standard.Silver,less rarethangold, is consideredsecondto
it: the SilverAge, accordingto Hesiod, wasthe second,less
perfectage of the world. Silverin Latindenotesthe second
floweringof Latinliterature,anda silveranniversarystands
for twenty-five years, as opposed to fifty for a gold.
Together,gold and silversymbolizewealth,as in the motto
of the stateof Montana:Oroyplata.
Both metalsareverymalleableandtakeon a high polish.
Their ductilitywas not known or appreciatedin antiquity,
but in moderntimes this qualityhasmadethem industrially
valuable.Gold is found eitherin a purestateor in a natural
alloy,especiallywith silver(electrum);silveroccursmostly
in lead ore (galena)and has to be separatedfrom the lead
sulphideby smelting. Another differencelies in their ap-
pearance.Gold, even when hardenedby the admixtureof
other metals, does not tarnish,while silver in time turns
blackandis subjectto corrosion.
In antiquitygold was firstfound and used in Africaand
Arabia,laterin the land of the Scythians,and especiallyin
Asia Minor.In Greekmythologyreportsof regionsrichin
gold wereechoedin the storiesof Midas'sgoldentouchand
the golden fleece as well as in tales of the griffins and
Arimasps.Though Greece herselfwas not so fortunateas
her richerneighbors,gold must havefound its way to the
country very early,as is proved by the many findsof gold
objectsin Mycenaeand elsewhere.In Etruriagold did not
become widespreaduntil the seventhcenturyB.C.and was
probablyminedin northernItaly,whilethe wealthof Rome
in gold derivedincreasinglyfrommilitaryconquests.
Gold and silver representedwealth throughouthistoric
times.Coinageoriginatedin AsiaMinorin the middleof the
seventh century B.C., when the ancientcities on the west
coastofAnatoliainventeda systembasedon the distribution
of smalllumps of electrum,all of the same (or nearlythe
same)weight.Theselumpswerefurnishedwith an identify-
ing punchmarkand used as a mediumof exchange,taking
the placeof the earliertradeby barter.The primitivepunch
marksweregraduallyreplacedby distinctivesymbolsof the
cities that issued these electrum"coins."Laterstill, in the
reignof King Croesusof Lydia(560-546 B.C.),Sardis,his
capitalcity,issuedcoins in gold and in silverratherthan in
electrum, with the ratio between the two metals set at
1:13.5. This innovation introduced bimetalism,which in
Trefoiloinochoe (no. 35)
Oppositepage:
varyingforms continued for centuriesuntil a little over a
hundredyearsago. While the monetaryvalue of gold and
silver and their parityhas changedfrequently,their prices
(andtheirsometimeswildfluctuations)arestilldetermining
economicfactors.
In thisBulletinovera hundredvasesandutensils-mostly
madeof silver-are illustratedanddescribed.Theyspantwo
anda halfmillenniaandrepresentthe holdingsof the Greek
andRomanDepartment,now exhibitedfor the firsttime in
a galleryadjacentto the GreatHall. In termsof collecting,
the choice of objects published here also illustratesthe
growth of the Department,in little more than a hundred
years,from the acquisitionby subscriptionof the Cesnola
collection of Cypriot antiquitiesin 1874 to the last pur-
chasesof two yearsago. Geographically the new exhibition
coversmost of the areasandperiodsin the careof the Greek
and RomanDepartment,from Cyprusin the southeastern
Mediterraneanto the Cycladesand other Greekislands,to
Ionia and beyondthe Greekmainland,and, in the West,to
ItalyandMagnaGraecia.Someof the objectshaverecorded
find spots, but manymore can only be ascribedto an area
and dated to a stylisticperiod. Not all periods are equally
well representedin the Museum,andthereis relativelylittle
gold. No modernmuseumcan pretendto give a fair cross
section of whatwas once visiblein the greatGreeksanctu-
ariesof DelphiandOlympiaor evenin the templetreasuries
of the Acropolis at Athens. The very value of the metal
broughtwith it the seeds of its own destruction,or better
put, its conversion.In times of need gold andsilverobjects
weremelteddown to payfor the necessitiesof life or arma-
ments, and a lost warinevitablyled to plunder-either the
legitimatebooty of the victor,who in Romantimes proudly
paradedit in a triumphalprocessionbeforeturningit over
to the state, or the privateloot of soldierson a rampage.
Looting could at times be avoided by burying treasures
beforean invasion,but the rightfulownercouldnot always
be sure of his own survival and thus of recovering his
propertyonce hostilities had ceased. Indirectly,however,
buriedobjectsstood a betterchanceof preservation,for if
discoveredby chancetwo thousandyearslaterthey were (at
least in most cases) not melted down but entered public
collections.Many of the hoardsof Romansilverfound in
Britain,France,Germany,and Switzerlandwithin the last
two centurieswerethussparedthe fateof the treasurefound
at Trierin 1628, which was promptlymelted down, or the
Wettingenfindof 1633, whichwas parceledout amongthe
Swisscantonsandhasdisappeared.
Most of our ancientplate is tableware-cups, pitchers,
bowls, ladles,and the like-and thereforeresemblesmuch
post-classicalgold andsilver.Also includedin ourcollection
5

Bucchero(blackclay) bowl with headsin relief.Etruscan,sixth century
B.C. Rome, Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia
aremirrors,cosmeticboxes,anda comb,aswellasanincense
burnerthat need not havebeen a cult vessel,but was prob-
ablyused athome. Silverandgold dedicatedto the gods did
not differ appreciablyin form and workmanshipfrom the
table silveronly the richcould affordto haveat their sump-
tuous banquets.
Earliest among the silver vases from Greece in the
Museumaretwo shallowbowls (nos. 1, 2), reportedlyfrom
Phialewith heads (no. 16)
6 Detail of silver-giltbowl (no. 10)
the island of Euboea, found with a gold cup and a silver
phialethat areboth now in the BenakiMuseumin Athens.
The decorationon the two silverbowls and the gold cup is
purely linear-vertical lines, chevrons, and hatched tri-
angles-and resemblesthe ornamentationof contemporary
pottery.A similar,though somewhatsmallersilverdish was
found in a tomb on Amorgos, and it is thought that these
metalbowls areCycladicandshouldbe datedbetween3000
and2300 B.C.Two gold cups (nos. 3, 4)-a kantharosanda
goblet-are Mycenaeanof about 1500 B.C. Considerably
later,of the eighth to the sixth centuryB.C., are the three
bowlsfromCyprus(nos. 9-11): one, in gold, betraysstrong
Egyptianinfluence;one in silver,with a centraltondo of a
winged divinity slaying a lion and two narrativezones,
representsa curious amalgamof Egyptianand Phoenician
motifs.
The earliestsilverphialemesomphalos(no. 12) is purely
Greek, of the sixth century B.C., though the shape and
schemeof decorationhadlong been traditionalin the Near
East. Another sixth-centurysilvervessel, a situla (no. 15),
wasmeantto be carriedby the swinginghandle,perhapsasa
cult object;it is saidto come fromthe Troad.
On pages 24 to 45 our archaicEast Greeksilveris intro-
duced, an assemblyof over fiftyvasesandutensilsthathave
been acquiredpatientlyover the courseof fifteenyears.The
manydifferentobjectswereevidentlymadeby Ioniancrafts-
men for rich clients on the eastern peripheryof Greece
at a time (beforethe Persianconquestof AsiaMinor) when
Greekcultureflourishedon both sides of the Aegean Sea,
andwhen Greekworkmanshipwas appreciatedas fareastas
Persepolis.Some of the objectsshow Eastern,even Persian,
Oppositepage:
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tasteandPersianmotifswerefreelyborrowed.Others,how-
ever, notably the large silver oinochoai with sculptural
adjuncts(nos. 35-38), are purelyGreekin both shapeand
style. The two phialaiwith Persianheadsworkedseparately
andattachedto the walls (nos. 16, 17) shouldbe singledout
for specialcomment,for they correspondto a type ofphiale
until now known only from a temple inventoryon Delos.
Eachof the hollow headscontainsa quantityof tiny bronze
pellets that produce a rattling sound when the object is
moved. Persianconnectionsarealso evidenton a silver-gilt
phiale (no. 18) that portraysthe greatking marchingto the
left between each lobe and on another(no. 19), somewhat
smaller,that shows the Persianking killing a lion. Other
phialaiare ornamentedmore sparingly,but while we have
some pairsthatwereobviouslymeantassuch,thereis much
varietyin both shapeanddecoration.
The silveroinochoe (no. 35) with the handlein the shape
of a naked youth bending backward,his long hair falling
over the rim of the vase, follows a type known in bronze
from Cyprusin the East to Spain in the West.The youth

Silverbowl (no. 19)

holds the tails of two recumbentlions on the rim, while his

feet rest on a palmette flanked by two rams. A second
oinochoe (no. 36) employsa decorativeschemeknownalso
frombronzehydriai.The upperendof the handleterminates
in a lion's head, its mouth opened as if to permanently
replenishthe liquidinsidethe vase, on the analogyof water
spouts in fountainhousesor along the roofs of Greektem-
ples.The finialatthe lowerend of the handletakesthe shape
of the head and forelegsof a panther.Two other wine jugs
(nos. 37, 38) havecarinatedbodies. The handlesterminate
above in animalheads that seem to bite into the lip of the
vase. One of the two carinatedjugs hasa frontalheadof Bes
as its lowerfinial.
Similarlyvariedarefour silveralabastra(nos. 45-48). In Goddess with scepterand phiale. Red-figuredlekythos (oil container).
each the body is divided into severalzones, which on the Attic, c. 470 B.C.FletcherFund, 1928 (28.57.11)

8

This representationof a drinkingpartyincludesmanyof the objects in the Treasury.Drawingby LindsleyE Hall of red-figuredkylix (drinkingcup).
Attic, c. 490-480 B.C.Rogers Fund, 1920 (20.246)
finestof them (no. 45) areengravedwith animalsanda battle
scenethatrecallsthe styleof Clazomenianpaintedterracotta
sarcophagi.Engravedfiguraldecoration also occurs on a
silverskyphosof typicallyLydianshape (no. 49) and on a
smallsilverbowl fromCyprus(no. 13).
Among the eight EastGreeksilverladlesin the collection
(see nos. 59-64), againno two arealike.One of them (no.
59) is particularlysumptuous:the loop on top is formedby
two eagle-griffins,andthe facetedhandleterminatesbelow
in a winged lion thatseemsto dive into the bowl while two
sphinxes,sculpturedfullyin the round,watch.
Most of the EastGreeksilverobjectswereintendedto be
used for banquets,of which we havemanyrepresentations
on vases and reliefs.There are two strainers(nos. 66, 67)
F pp
throughwhichwinewaspouredinto drinkingcups;they are
in silverandtheirhandles,like those on some of the ladles,
aredecoratedwith animalheads,here a duckand a calf.Of
the other utensils used on such occasions, two incense
burnersshould be noted. One (no. 69, of bronze)is in the
shapeof a cup attachedto a long rod, its perforatedconical
coverhingedto the rod bymeansof a leapinganimalwith its
head turned back.This incense burnerfollows an ancient
Egyptiantradition:it washeld in a horizontalposition by a
servantor attendantwho would walk through the rooms
with it. The other incenseburner(no. 68), madeof silver,
wasno doubtset on a table.Its lid, likethe one in bronze,is
tiered and perforated,but insteadof being hinged it was
securedto the stand by a small chain. The cover is sur-
9
Detailof goldphiale(no. 86)
mounted by an exquisite statuette of a cock, the style of
which resembles that of the cocks engraved on the shoulder
of one of the silver alabastra (no. 45). Such a small incense
burner occurs, not by coincidence, on the fragment of a
black-figured hydria in Athens that was found at Clazo-
menae on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Libation scene. Red-figured stamnos (wine jar). Attic, c. 480
FletcherFund, 1956 (56.171.50)
10
To the realm of cosmetics belongs a rectangular compart-
mented makeup box of silver (no. 70). One of the dividing
walls is notched to hold a special cosmetic spoon, and the
box's cover does not open on a hinge but swivels horizon-
tally and is held locked by a movable stud. The heads of the
swivel and the locking stud are gilt, as are five additional
ornamental studs in the center and on the four corners.
When the box is closed properly, anyone unfamiliarwith the
locking mechanism would have a difficult time opening it.
Also from Eastern Greece, but almost two centuries later,
is a group of five vessels from Prusias, in Bithynia (nos.
72-76). The situla, or wine bucket, is of bronze, as befits a
vase that is carried back and forth from the kitchen or pantry
to the dining room. The other objects-a strainer, a ladle, a
kylix, and a phiale-are of silver. Prusias on Hypios, for-
merly called Kieros, was a Greek settlement in a notoriously
hostile country, and the Prusias find is indeed of Greek
workmanship, closely related to that on the many metal vases
found more recently in Northern Greece and Macedonia.
Slightly later and of unknown provenance is a group of five
silver objects (nos. 81-85)-a cup (kylix), a bottle, a pyxis, a
scraper (strigil), and a jar (that once had a handle and served
as a pitcher). The bottle, the pitcher, and the pyxis have
ornamental bands enhanced by gilding.
A gold libation bowl (no. 86), or phiale, is not only one of
the rarest but also one of the most beautiful objects in the
exhibition. The chief decoration is three circles of acorns and
a fourth of beechnuts, each containing thirty-three ele-
ments. In addition, thirty-three bees are depicted in the
B.C. interstices of the row of acorns nearest the edge of the bowl,
and the collar around the omphalos is decorated with fifteen
circumscribedpalmettes.Acorns as decorationon phialai
were traditional,as we learnnot only from inventoriesof
temple treasures,but also from a fragmentarygold phiale
now in Warsawthat was found on Cyprusin a late sixth-
centurytomb andfromRomancopiesof the caryatidsof the
fifth-centuryErechtheumon the Acropolisin Athens.There
is nothing in the decoration on the gold phiale in the
Museumthat allowsus to date it precisely,but the Cartha-
ginianinscriptionon the bottom is engravedwith characters
that epigraphersassignto the third centuryB.C. Since this
inscriptionmay havebeen addedlater,it only furnishesus
with a terminuspostquem non.
Two other richlydecoratedphialai(nos. 89, 90), said to
have been found together,were hammeredover the same
die. On each of them the broaderouter band shows the
apotheosisof Heraklesin a cortege of four chariots,while
the narrowinnerzone aroundthe omphalosshowsthe gods
feastingon Olympus.It had long been held that these two
phialai,of whichfragmentaryreplicasor adaptationsexistin
the BritishMuseum,weremadeof silver,butnot long ago an
examinationpromptedby our Italiancolleaguesrevealed
themto be madeof silveredtin. The spiritedhorsesdrawing
the chariotspoint to a datein the latefifth centuryB.C. that
seemsto be supportedby the allegationthatthe two phialai
were found togetherwith an Attic red-figuredcalyxkrater,
now at Oxford,by the Dinos Painter.
Somewhatlater than the silvered-tinphialaiis a bronze
mirror(no. 88) attachedto a wooden backandframedby a
cast silver-giltcircularband decoratedin openwork with Pyxiswithconicalcover(no. 108)
birds and floral rinceaux.The mirroris said to have been
found in Olbia,in South Russia,as is a silver-giltbowl (no. "Scythian"gold and silverwas workedby Greekcraftsmen,
87) that, like the mirror,is from the collection of Joseph andthis assumptionhasnow been confirmedby the discov-
Chmielowski.This bowl, considerablylaterthanthe mirror, ery of a gold quiverof "Scythian"
shapein the famoustomb
illustrateshow the classicalGreekmotifs-here Erotesfly- at Verginain Macedonia.
ing against a backgroundof acanthusleaves, scrolls, and From the far Northeast we now turn to the West, to
fan-shapedpalmettes-become increasinglydebasedat the MagnaGraecia.A tombdiscoveredin 1895 atMontefortino
peripheryof the Hellenisticworld. (see nos. 110-114),nearAnconain centralItaly,included-
South Russian, too, is the decorated gold plate of a in addition to iron spits and sword blades, bronze and
Scythiansword sheath (no. 91), the companion piece to ceramicvessels-five silvervases:a two-handleddeep bowl,
which was found in Chertomlykbetween 1859 and 1863; a ladle,a pitcher,andtwo stemlesscups.The silvervasesare
the two differ only in the treatmentof the animalsin the clearlyof WestGreek,perhapsTarentine,workmanshipand
triangulartop section. It haslong beenheldthatmuchof the must havebeen looted somewhereelse in southernItalyby

Detail of sword sheath (no. 91)

11
 kylix;one ladle;one shallowphialedecoratedwith a twelve-
pointed gilt star aroundthe omphalos;one small pitcher
with a theatricalmask,not unlikethose on the buckets,in
high reliefbelow the handle;one tripod pyxiswith a deco-
ratedlid; one smallportablealtarwith differentreceptacles
for various offerings; two horns, perhapsfrom a helmet
madeof bronzeandnow destroyed;and,lastly,the emblema
of a cup or pyxis lid decoratedin high reliefwith a frontal
Scylla.Severalfeaturesconnect this group stylisticallywith
famous Tarentine treasure, once the property of
I• V M =2 I,the
tX
de Rothschildbut not seen since WorldWarII,
g-~~ __ iEdmond
\l
which,in turn,sharessome of the stylisticconventionswith
a findmostlyofterracottavasesfromAlbania,one of which
closely resemblesthe two silverbuckets(nos. 105, 106) in
the Museum. Parallelsfor the polygonal markingson the
Ijl silverbowl (no. 97) canbe foundon clayvases
t!? -a 1hemispherical
X
X .1 1from
~------- i CorinthandPergamon.
, ]- 8 - f l The sackingof Syracusein 211 B.c. and of Tarantotwo
-c wyears laterled to large-scalelooting of the two most impor-
tantGreekcitiesin MagnaGraecia,but the booty carriedoff
to Rome atthe sametime openedthe eyesof the Romansto

ApolloandArtemisperforminga libation.Red-figured pelike(storage

vessel).Attic,mid-fifthcenturyB.c. RogersFund,1906(06.1021.191)

the Gallicsoldierin whose tomb they were found. Another

group of earlyHellenisticsilverobjects (see nos. 107-109)
cameto light in anEtruscantomb at Bolsena,in Italy;it also
containeda finebronzemirrorandfivebronzevessels,three
iron candelabra,firerakesand tongs, andirons,six undeco-
rated vases made of local clay,two Etruscanblack-glazed
vases,twelve smallterracottaballs (a set for a game), and a
gold ring. The bronzes, iron utensils, and terracottavases
are clearlyEtruscan,but the three silverobjects, a pyxis, a
perfumeamphoriskos,anda strigil,musthavebeen imports
(probably from Apulia), to which the Etruscan inscription Skyphos(no. 116)
"suthina"("for the tomb") was added before they were
buried.
The floralornamentson the insides of the two stemless
cupsfromMontefortino (nos. 112,113)arenot too farfrom
the floraldetailson the amphoriskosandpyxisfromBolsena
(nos. 107, 108), which supports an attribution of both
groups to a workshop,or a workshoptradition,of Magna
Graecia.The same attribution,possibly more narrowlyto
Taranto,canbe madefor fifteensilverobjectsof greatsplen-
dor acquired by the Museum in 1981 and 1982 (nos.
92-106): two silverbuckets,eachwith threesupportsin the
shapeof theatricalmasks;three deep bowls with separately
workedleaf-rosettesinsidein the center;one hemispherical
bowl with two engravedgilt wreathson the outside and
polygonal grooves on the body; one deep-bowled, stemless Spoutedpitcher(no. 118)

12
the beautyof Greekart. Fromthen on greatwealthpoured
into Rome, not only from MagnaGraeciabut also, in the
secondcentury,fromAsiaMinor and Greeceand, afterthe
battleof Actium, from Egypt. The best descriptionof the
almostunbelievabledisplayof wealthat a Hellenisticcourt
in the third centuryB.C. is the accountby the writerKalli-
xeinosof the greatprocessionorganizedby KingPtolemyII
Philadelphusin Alexandriain 271/270 B.c.: the weight of
the gold cups alone is given as three hundredtons. One
cannot help but wonder what happenedto all those trea-
sures.Muchof the gold andsilvermusthavefoundits wayto
Rome.
The Museumowns partsof two late RomanRepublican
hoards.The more complete, of thirty pieces-a veritable
ministerium,as the Romans called a silver table service-is
divided between the Field Museumof NaturalHistory in
Chicago and the Metropolitan (see nos. 115-124). The
hoard,said to havebeen found nearTivoli, was bought by
EdouardWarneckin the late nineteenthcentury.After the
deathof Warneck'swidow the silverwas offered at auction
in Parisin 1905, in one lot; it wasboughtby a dealerwho the
nextyearsold partof it (a mug, a platter,six dishes,a shell,
andelevenspoons) to a Chicagocollector.Manyyearslater
the remainder(two cups, a spoutedpitcher,a ladle, and six
spoons) went to New York.The majorpiecesof this set, the
cups, the mug, the ladle, and the dishes,are engravedwith
the nameof the owner,a certainSattia,daughter(or wife) of
Lucius;the platterbearsthe nameof Roscia.The dish in the
shapeof a halfshellis also inscribed,but the namesareonly
partiallylegible.These inscribedvasesarealso markedwith
the weights,a practicenot uncommonin antiquity.The two
cups (nos. 116, 117) invite comparisonwith the similar,
though plainer,cup (no. 98) from the earlythird-century
hoard, and the ladle is still in the traditionof the fourth-
centuryladle from Prusias(no. 72). The spouted pitcher
(no. 118), however,is a new shape and relativelyrare.Its
troughlike spout corresponds somewhat to the Roman
encyclopedistM. TerentiusVarro'sdescriptionof a trulla(or
truella),a diminutiveoftrua, the Latinword for gutter,and
this shapehasthereforeat times been calleda trulla.
The second Romanhoard,considerablysmallerthan the
Tivolione, is saidto havebeenfoundnearLakeTrasimenein
centralItaly.Thoughit too hasbeendispersed,the Museum
is fortunateto haveacquiredtwo pieces:a pairofstrigilson a
ring (no. 125) and a combinationcomb and pin (no. 126)
with engraveddecorationdepictinga lion hunt.
Roman silver of the Imperialperiod is less well repre-
sentedin the Museum,for thereis nothingin New Yorkthat
can be comparedto the HildesheimTreasurein Berlin,the
BoscorealeSilverin the Louvre,the BerthouvilleTreasurein
13
the Cabinetdes Medailles,or the silverfrom the House of
Menander in Pompeii. The cast handles (nos. 130, 131)
of two very large dishes, however,of the second andthird
centuriesA.D., are eloquent illustrationsof excellentlater
Romansilverwork.The earlierof the two handlesshows, in
relief,a lion hunt in a mountainouslandscape.The second
handle is somewhatlater and the techniqueis differentin
that the higher parts of the reliefwere cast separatelyand
insertedor splicedinto cut-out depressions.Here the sub-
ject is the Indiantriumphof Bacchusin a chariotdrawnby
two lionesses.
14
The storyof GreekandRomansilverdoes not, of course,
end with the last pieces in this Bulletinor with the exhibi-
tion. Visitorsto the newlyopened gallerymaywell wish to
explorethe lateantiquegold andsilverin the parallelgallery
south of the greatstaircasethatis devotedto earlyChristian
art andcontainsthe fabulousCyprusplate,or the Egyptian
galleriesto the north thatexhibitmuchgold andsilverfrom
PtolemaicEgypt. On the second floor toward the south,
gold and silverplatefrom the ancientNear Eastwill round
out the splendidstory of ancienttoreutic art, of which the
GreekandRomanTreasuryis one of the finestchapters.
DIETRICH VON BOTHMER
Chairman
Departmentof
GreekandRomanArt
A Greek and Roman Treasury
The installationof the GreekandRomanTreasuryis
madepossiblethroughthe generosityof Gayfrydand
SaulSteinbergandRelianceGroupHoldings,Inc.
 v-p -N-' *-
- w -I
. -1 t ,

1,2. Pairof silverbowls. Saidto havebeenfoundtogetheron

Euboea.Cycladic,ca. 3000-2300 B.C.Left:height4.8 cm;diam-
eterca. 19.6cm;weight439.2 grams.Bequestof WalterC. Baker,
1971(1972.118.152).Right:height5.8 cm;diameterca. 24.6 cm;
weight709.5 grams.Purchase,JosephPulitzerBequest,1946
(46.11.1)
Thesetwo shallowsilverbowlsmaybe termedforerunnersof the
libationbowlscalledphialaiin Greek.Metalvasesof the Cycladic
periodareveryrare,andit is not surprisingthatgold andsilver,
whicharesuchmalleablemetals,predominate.
The decorationon the shoulderof the somewhatsmallerdish
differsfromthaton the largerone by havingthreefieldsof vertical
lines(eleven,nine,andelevenrespectively)betweenthreewider
fieldsof chevrons.
The rimof the largerbowl flaresout andthe neckis vertical.The
decorationis limitedto the shoulder.Fouroblong fieldsof vertical
strokes(nineteenin eachfield,exceptfor one thathasonly eigh-
teen) alternatewith fourothers,somewhatwider,thatarecom-
posedof fivetriangleseach.The trianglesarehatched.
Bibliography:GreekArtoftheAegeanIslands,1979, pp. 63-64 (with previous
references).
3. Gold kantharos(drinkingcup).Saidto triccirclesin slightreliefon the bottom.In
be fromThebes.Greek,ca. 1500-1375 B.C. shapethiskantharosresemblesone found in
Height to top of handles8.6 cm; heightto ShaftGraveIV of Mycenae,the so-called
rim7.2 cm; width 17.07cm;weight 71 Minyankantharos.The shapeoccursas
grams.RogersFund, 1907 (07.286.126) earlyas the MiddleHelladicperiodandre-
r.ait1,nerl
.lllxillllll L jn uVuUlda in rlir n 1U
naiilr Ul fLthLILLI In mrn1e!l
lllLdl1lUL frar
The body of the cupwasraisedfroma disk xidy

of sheetgold; the two handleswith rolled over a thousandyears.

edgeswereworkedseparatelyandattached Bibliography:E. Davis,The VapheioCupsandAegean
Goldand SilverWare,1977, pp. 324-25, no. 147, figs.
with gold rivets.The handlesaredecorated 263-264.
with leafpatterns.Therearethreeconcen-

4. Goldcup. Saidto havebeenfound at

Mycenae.Greek,ca. 1500 B.C.Height 5.5
cm;diameterca. 7.95 cm;weight27 grams.
Gift of WalterC. Baker,1961(61.71).Ex
coll. AlfredAndre
No exactparallelis knownfor this gold cup,
whichmusthavehada loop handlesimilar
to thoseon the morecommondrinking
cupsof gold andsilverfoundin the shaft
gravesof Mycenae.
Bibliography:E. Davis, The Vapheio
CupsandAegean
Goldand SilverWare,1977, pp. 326-27, no. 149, fig.
266.

17
5-8. Four silver vases from Cyprus. Purchasedby subscrip-
tion, 1874-1876.
Ex coil. L. P.di Cesnola

5. Oinochoe(winejug).Cypriot,seventhcenturyB.C.Height 15.9
cm;diameter9.6 cm;weight271 grams.(74.51.4592)
The lip is trefoil,andthe handleis formedby two reeds.The neckis
set off fromthe body by a pronouncedwelt.
Bibliography:TheSwedishCyprusExpedition,4,2 (1948), p. 160, fig. 33, no. 14;
1979, p. 58, note 120 (with previous
B. Shefton, Die "rhodischen"Bronzekannen,
references).

6. Goblet.Cypriot,sixthcenturyB.C.Height 8.1 cm;diameterof

mouth 10.4 cm; weight 123 grams. (74.51.4566)
The wine cuphasa roundedbottomanda flaringrimandresembles
NearEasterngoblets.
Bibliography:J. L. Myres,Handbookf theCesnolaColection,1914, p. 466,
no. 4566.

7. Oinochoe. Cypriot, seventh century B.C.Height 17.8 cm; diame-
ter 12.63 cm; weight 347 grams. (74.51.4586)
The form of Cypriot silver jugs, with a globular body, a flaring
mouth, and a drip ring on the neck, closely resembles that of the
pottery vases of Cypriot make. The edges of the cast handle are
decorated with a herringbone pattern.
Bibliography:TheSwedishCyprusExpedition,4,2 (1948), p. 160, fig. 33, no. 13.
8. Skyphos (wine cup). Cypriot, sixth to fifth century B.C. Height
8.2 cm; diameter 13.26 cm; width 13.37 cm; weight 681 grams.
(74.51.4581)
The skyphos has an offset lip and was probably cast ratherthan raised.
Bibliography:TheSwedishCyprusExpedition,4,2 (1948), p. 160, fig. 33, no. 12.
,r
'e
9-11. Three bowls from Cyprus. Purchasedby subscription,
1874-1876.
Ex coll. L. P. di Cesnola
9. Gold bowl, decorated in repousse. Cypriot, eighth century B.C.
Height 4.9 cm; diameter of rim 14.2 cm; weight 122.27 grams.
(74.51.4551)
The decoration is organized in concentric bands: around a small
central boss, thirty-six tongues; halfway up the bowl, a papyrus
thicket with seven swimming ducks; below the rim, another
papyrus thicket with bulls pursuing fallow deer across the marshes;
all have their legs in the water.
Bibliography:E. Gjerstad,in OpusculaArchaeologica,
4 (1946), pp. 3,13 f., pl. 12.
19
 10. Silver-giltbowl. Cypriot,seventhcen-
turyB.C.Height 3.3 cm;diameter16.9 cm;
weight 155 grams.(74.51.4554)
The bowl belongsto a classcalledCypro-
Phoenicianandwithinit to the second
phase.In a medallionin the centera four-
wingeddeityin Assyriangarbkillsa ram-
pantlion with his sword.Behindhim hover
two Egyptianfalcons.The tondo is sur-
roundedby a narrativezone in Egyptianiz-
ing style borderedby cablepatterns.A
kneelingarcheraimsat a lion thathasfelled
a hunterandis attackedby anotherhunter
poisinga spear.Next comesa grazinghorse
separatedby a treefromanotherlion that
hasthrownan Egyptianto the ground.
Afteranothertreecomesa seatedsphinx
and, againframedby trees,two confronted
bulls;two bullswalkingto the rightanda
cow andcalfconcludethe scene.This nar-
row zone formsthe predella,as it were,of
the chiefzone, whichis largerin scale.This
outerzone is dividedratherirregularlyby
conventionalized"sacredtrees,"flanked
once by an Egyptiangoddess,then by two
sphinxes,two goats,two griffins,and-
interspersedwith the groupof an Egyptian
slayinga lion in a forest-an Assyriankill-
ing a griffin,a pharaohclubbingthreecap-
tives in the presenceof a falcon-headedgod,
anda young Egyptianspearinga winged
monster.The outerborderis formedby
uprightpalmettes.The Egyptianhiero-
glyphson the panelsdo not makesense.
This curiousmixtureof Egyptianand
Mesopotamianmotifs is not atypicalof
Cypriotartof the archaicperiod,andwe
mayneverbe ableto put in focus the artistic
personalityresponsiblefor this amalgamof
formsandmotifs. Whatis veryclear,how-
ever,thanksto the perspicacityofT. B. Mit-
ford, is the identityof the firstownerof
the bowl:Akestor,kingof Paphos,had
his nameinscribedbelow the rimin the
Cypriotsyllabary.At a latertime the bowl
changedhands,probablyafter498 B.C.
when Paphoswasplunderedby the Persians
andtheirCypriotallies,andthe new owner
added,againnearthe rim,but fartherto the
left: "I belongto Timukretes."
Bibliography:T. B. Mitford, in Universityof
London, Institute of ClassicalStudies,Bulletin10
(1963), pp. 27-30, pls. 4-7 (with previous
bibliography).

11. Silverbowl. Foundon Cyprus

(Kourion).Cypriot,earlysixthcenturyB.C.
Height 4.6 cm; diameter15.5 cm; weight
82 grams.(74.51.4552)
Unlikethe two previousCypriotbowls, this
one is not in repousseor in relief,but
merelyincised.An inscriptionin West
Cypriot(or Paphian)syllabaryidentifies
both the owner (Epiorwos)andthe name
of the shape(phiale).The decorationcon-
sistsof a centralsixteen-petalledrosettefol-
lowed by two bandsof whichthe lower
representsa papyrusthicketandthe upper
20

a curiousgroupingof pairedheraldic
sphinxes,griffins,wingedcobras,falcon-
headeddivinities,andfalcons.In addition
thereareisolatedbirdsanda divinitywith
fourwings.The letteringis partof the
designandappearsin an areadeliberately
left emptyfor the inscriptionnextto a big
waterbird.The groupsareseparatedby pal-
mettes,lotuses,a palmtree,andtwo decid-
uous treesaswell as by a highlystylized
"sacredtree."
The styleof the engravingis whathas
beentermedCypro-Egyptian, but the coex-
istenceof the manydifferentdetailsmakesit
clearthatthe engraverwasnot an Egyptian
but a localartist.
Bibliography:O. Masson, in BulletindeCorrespon-
danceHellnique, 104 (1950), pp. 225-31 (with pre-
vious bibliographyon the inscription);E. Gjerstad,
4 (1946), pp. 3,13 ff, pl.
in OpusculaArchaeologica,
14 (on the style).
\,
,%A\.
0.1.
r-
Lr I
12. Silver phiale mesomphalos. Greek (per- sphinxes couchants are followed (clockwise)
haps Rhodian), late seventh or early sixth by a bull facing a lion, a boar facing right, a
century B.C.Height 4.5 cm; diameter 22.07 bird on a flower, and a panther facing left.
cm; weight 422 grams. Classical Purchase Between the animals, tendrils spring from
Fund, 1981 (1981.11.13) the ground line or are suspended from the
This is the earliest of the Museum's tradi-
circular top border.
tional phialai with the pronounced
Not many Greek silver phialai mesom-
phaloi are known from this time-one in
omphalos (navel) or central boss, the hollow Berlin, said to be from Asia Minor, and two
underside of which furnished a secure grip
for two fingers while the phiale was tilted to
from Kameiros on Rhodes-but this is the
only early one that has animals in addition
pour a libation. The wall of the phiale is to the floral ornaments, which help in the
decorated by twelve radiallyarrangedstyl-
ized lotus blossoms. The omphalos was cov- dating of the object.
ered by another layer that was equipped Bibliography:TheMetropolitan MuseumofArt
with a brim or collar and was worked sepa-
Annual Report1980-1981,p. 37; idem,Notable
Acquisitions1980-1981, p. 11 (ill.).
rately; this added member was gilt. The
boss has in its center a small raised disk from
which sixteen tongues or flutes descend
radiallyover the side. The brim or collar is
embossed with animals or monsters: two
21
13. Silverbowl. FromCyprus.Cypriot, ?
sixth century B.C.Height 5.5 cm; diameter '
10.3 cm; weight 82 grams. Purchased by
subscription, 1874-1876 (74.51.4562) Ex
coil. L. P. di Cesnola
On the offset lip thirteen birds are engraved l
marching to the right. The body is deco-
rated with forty-four tongues or ribs radiat-
ing from the depression on the bottom that^ - - ' "
forms the omphalos. Engraved decoration
occurs in the archaicperiod not only in Per- .. . [ s
.. '
sian metalwork but also on East Greek silver "
vases (compare nos. 45 and 49). "
'.. "
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.SilverfortheGods,Toledo,
f
1977,p. 24, no. 1 (withpreviousreferences).

14. Silver bowl. Found in Sardis. Greek,

sixth century B.C.Height 5.6 cm; diameter
of mouth 11.44 cm; weight 147.3 grams.
Gift of The American Society for the Explo-
ration of Sardis, 1926 (26.164.13)
The lip is sharply set off from the body of
the bowl, which is decorated on the shoul-
der by two grooves.

15. Silversitula(pail)with swinginghandle.

Saidto be fromthe Troad.Greek,sixthcen-
tury B.C.Height, with bailupright,19.5
cm;heightto rim 13.3 cm;diameter14.3
cm;weight630 grams.Bequestof WalterC.
Baker,1971(1972.118.153)
The body of the situlais ribbed,andthe
shoulderis decoratedwith a bandof forty-
eight smallrosettes.The swinginghandle
terminatesin smallanimalheads(perhaps
snakes).The vesselis equippedwith a small
ring base.No exactparallelsareknown,but
the shapeanddecorationbetraya strong
Achaemenianinfluence.
Bibliography:AncientArtfrom NewYorkPrivateCol-
lections,1961, p. 12, no. 56, pl. 100.

22
 'k ,

II

I c,

l* iI
 16,17. Pairof silverphialai.Greek,sixthcen-
turyB.C.Left:height6.3 cm;diameter
12.46 cm;weight232 grams.Purchase,
Mrs.CharlesS. PaysonGift, 1966
(66.11.21).Right:height6.3 cm; diameter
12.57 cm;weight243 grams.RogersFund,
1966 (66.11.22)
Eachhasa shallowomphalos,an offset lip,
andengravedtongueson the lowerpartof
the bowl (borderedaboveon no. 16 [left]
by a circleof puncheddots). Betweenthe lip
andthe tongues,encirclingthe bowl, are
attachedeighteenbeardedheadsthatare
hollow andsolderedonto the wallof the
bowl. Whensomeof the headsbecame
detached,it wasdiscoveredthatinsidewere
tiny bronzepelletsthatproducea rattling
soundwhenthe cup is liftedandmoved.
On the bowl of no. 16 an engravedbandof
rosettesoccursabovethe headsat the junc-
tion of lip andshoulder,andstylized
rosettesareengravedat the intersticesof
the heads.
The headshavea pronouncedOriental
castandconformto our associationof Per-
sianfeatures.No othersuchphialaiare
knowntoday,but a "silverphialewith Per-
sianheads"is mentionedin one of the
Deliantempleinventories.
Bibliography:M. Vickers,inJHS 90 (1970), p. 201;
D. von Bothmer,"LesTresorsde l'orfevreriede la
Gr&ceorientaleau MetropolitanMuseumde New
York,"in Academiedes Inscriptionset Belles-Let-
tres, ComptesRendus,1981, pp. 195, 196, fig. 1.

24
18. Silver-giltphiale.Greek,sixthcentury
B.C.Height 3.7 cm; diameter15.23 cm;
weight245.4 grams.Purchase,Rogers
Fund,AnonymousGift, andHalinaand
JohnKlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.14)
The shapeof the phialeis of the so-called
Achaemeniantype-offset flaringlip, hol-
low omphalos-but the decorationis most
unusual.The ten projectinglobesor bosses
arenot workedin repousse(as,for example,
on nos. 28 and29) but areseparatelyham-
meredandattachedto the wallof the bowl
in speciallypreparedgrooves.The plain
lobes resemblein contourandvolumethe
similarlyattachedPersianheadson nos. 16
and17.The intervalsbetweenthe lobesare
decoratedwith gilt a jourreliefsof the Per-
siankingwalkingto the left in fullregalia.
His feet areset on two eagleheadsplaced
heraldicallybackto backthatsurmounta
drop-shapedringdecoratedwith an ivy leaf
below.
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,"LesTresorsde
l'orfevreriede la Grce orientaleau Metropolitan
Museumde New York,"in Academiedes Inscrip-
tions et Belles-Lettres,Comptes
Rendus,1981, pp.
195-96, fig. 2.

19. Silverbowl, with omphalos.Greek,

sixthcenturyB.C.Height 4.5 cm;diameter
10.56 cm; weight89 grams.RogersFund,
1975 (1975.11.4)
This smalldrinkingbowl is technically
relatedto the silver-giltphiale(no. 18) but
somewhatcruderandlesswellpreserved.
Sixhollow andshallowlobes alternatewith
six plaquesof the Persiankingkillinga lion.
The reliefzone is borderedaboveby a nar-
row bandof engravedhatchedtrianglesand
below by a similarbandof doublehatched
triangles.Halfwaybetweenthe lowerband
andthe depressionof the omphalosis a cir-
cularrow of punchedcirclesandon the
edge of the hollowof the omphalosa band
of incisedherringbones.
The two bowlswith appliquereliefs(nos.
18 and 19) maybe comparedto a phialein
the BritishMuseum(WAD135571)that
haseight smallplaquesof a rampantBes-
headedwingedlion betweeneight lobes.
The latter,however,arenot addedbut in
repousse.
25
 20-24. Five silver bowls.

20. Silverphiale.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 4.8 cm; diameter17.0 cm; weight
271 grams.FletcherFund, 1968 (68.11.64)

21. Silverphiale.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 4.7 cm; diameter17.4-17.65 cm;
weight 302.3 grams.Purchase,Anonymous
Gift, 1970 (1970.11.16)
Whilenot an exactpair,thesetwo libation
bowls areobviouslycontemporaryandthe
workof the samesilversmith.Both, more-
over,sharea similarlightlyengravedmono-
gramin the hollow of the omphalos.In
termsof styletheyaresimilarto the phialai
of the so-calledAchaemeniantype (nos. 28
and29) illustratedon the oppositepage.
All fourhavenine lobes alternatingwith
nine stylizedlotuses.

22. Silverphiale.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 4.5 cm; diameter14.6 cm; weight
265 grams.Purchase,RogersFund,Anony-
mous Gift, andHalinaandJohnKlejman
Gift, 1969 (69.11.10)
The seventy-sixtongueson the outsideof
the lowerpartof the bowl arechased,as are
the threecarinationson the shoulder.

23. Silverwine cup.Greek,sixthcentury

B.C.Height 4.9 cm; diameter10.85 cm;
weight 161grams.Purchase,Anonymous
Gift, 1967 (67.11.17)
The decoration,limitedto the outside,is
chased.It consistsof a sixteen-petalledro-
sette surroundedby a circleof beadingon
the bottom andeighty-twotongueson the
convexpartof the bowl; abovethe flutes,
justbelow the offset lip, is a circleof
kymatiaandeggs. The rosetteis a forerun-
nerof the similarones on the bottomsof
nos. 75, 78, and 79.

24. Silverphiale.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 4.1 cm; diameter14.9-15.1 cm;
weight206.9 grams.Purchase,Rogers
Fund,AnonymousGift, andHalinaand
JohnKlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.9)
As on no. 22 the eighty-seventongueson
the outsidearechased,andthereis an
engravedcirclearoundthe depressionof the
omphalos.In addition,however,this phiale
hasthirty-eighttongueschasedon the
inside,surroundingthe omphalos,the
undersideof whichhasincisedletters(Alik)
thatmaybe the beginningof a Greekname,
anda complexmonogram.

26
25-29. Five silver phialai. Greek, sixth
century B.C.

25. Offset lip, shallow omphalos, carination
on shoulder, ninety-five lightly chased
tongues on the outside. Height 3.25 cm;
diameter 17.0 cm; weight 210 grams.
Classical Purchase Fund, 1980 (1980.11.13)
26. Offset lip, small omphalos, small tongue
pattern on shoulder, thirty-two tongues on
body. Height 4.25 cm; diameter 15.67 cm;
weight 205 grams. Purchase, Rogers Fund,
Anonymous Gift, and Halina and John Klej-
man Gift, 1968 (68.11.8)
27. Continuous convex contour, deep
omphalos with collar consisting of sixty-one
chased tongues. The outside is plain.
Height 3.8 cm; diameter 18.0 cm; weight
409 grams. Purchase, Anonymous Gift,
1970 (1970.11.15)
29. Same type, but smaller.Height 3.2 cm;
diameter 13.92 cm; weight 154 grams.
Rogers Fund, 1966 (66.11.20)
Phialai with flaring rims or offset lips (nos.
25, 26, 28, 29) are commonly called the
Achaemenian type, though it is by no means
certain that all were made by Persians.The
pure Greek shape is represented by no. 27,
and in Attic potteryoccurs as early as the
sixth century B.C.A somewhat flatter and
much lighter silver phiale in the Indiana
University Art Museum (ace. no. 69.102.2;
A. Oliver, Jr.,Silverforthe Gods,1977, p. 25,
no. 2) shares its system of decoration with
no. 27. The combination of carination on
the shoulder and tongues below (no. 25)
continues well into the fourth century and
occurs on drinking cups (see no. 77).

28. Flaring rim, small omphalos, nine lobes

separatedby nine lotuses. Height 4.2 cm;
diameter 17.7 cm; weight 210.5 grams.
Rogers Fund, 1966 (66.11.19)
27
30. Silverphiale.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.

G. Bastis,Mrs.ThomasS. Brush,Winslow
Carlton,andMrs.JamesJ.RorimerGifts,
1969 (69.11.11)
The phialehas an offset lip andan ornamen-
tal bandof somewhatirregulartongues
below the junctionof lip andbody.An
owner'smonogram(shownhere)is t
engravedon one sideof the lip; on the
oppositeside thereis anothergraffito.
'=:

31,32. Two deepsilverphialai.Greek,sixth

centuryB.C.Left: height6.5 cm; diameter
15.84 cm; weight254.2 grams.Right:
height 5.8 cm; diameter14.06 cm;weight
231.4 grams.Purchase,AnonymousGift,
1970 (1970.11.19,18)
Thesetwo libationbowls introducefurther
variations.The one on the righthasninety-
eight shorttongueschasedon its shoulder
andninety-twolong, narrowleavesthat
radiatefroma reservedbandaroundthe
hollow of the omphalos,whichis inscribed
with a lambda.The largerof the two bowls,
on the left, hasonly eighty-nineshort
tonguesbelow the junctionof lip andshoul-
two Greekletterschiandiota.

33. Deep silverbowl. Greek,sixthcentury

B.C.Height 5.65 cm; diameter12.24 cm;
weight253 grams.Purchase,Anonymous
Gift, 1973 (1973.11.8)
34. Shallowsilverbowl. Greek,sixthcen-
turyB.C. Height 3.7 cm;diameter16.36
cm; weight 237 grams.Purchase,Anony-
mousGift, 1973 (1973.11.9)
Thesetwo handsome,though totally
undecorated,bowlswereacquiredtogether _l
with a plainsilversitula(no. 53), a plainsil- -i___
verladle(no. 64), andthe smallerof our l
two silverstrainers(no. 67); presumablythe
fiveobjectswerefound together.

28
35. Silvertrefoiloinochoe.Greek,sixth
centuryB.C.Height to top of handle18 cm;
to top of rim17.3cm;diameter9.55 cm;
weight623 grams.RogersFund,1966
(66.11.23)
The body of the jug is raised,whilethe foot
andhandlearecastseparatelyandjoinedto
the vasewith solder.The shoulderandthe
foot aredecoratedwith tongues,andthere
is a circleof beadingat the junctionof the
foot andthe body;a kymationis chasedon
the edge of the mouth.The handleis in the
shapeof a nakedyouth bendingbackward,
his long hairfallinginto the mouthof the
vase.His feet reston a separatelycastlower
attachmentthatterminatesbelowin a hang-
ing palmette;the lateralprojectionsaretwo
recumbentramsin high relief,theirheads
turnedtowardthe viewer.Thesetwo rams
correspondto two couchantlionsplaced
backto backon the rimon eithersideof the
headof the youth,who graspstheirtails.
The schemeof the handlewith a youth,two
lions above,andtwo ramsbelowis known
fromGreekbronzehydriaiandoinochoai,
but to datethis is the only examplein silver.
Bibliography:T. P. F Hoving, TheChase,theCap-
ture, 1975, p. 119, fig. 19.

29
 : u t i ,, :-i
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Y 1wJIr II ?t-

B a ,.:,iSZBi6a%88i ~Y;&ifIl?%t;i..

'ri-
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hi
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`:;::

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:-?6j --:??;,

a r)
i
i? I
3-aik
'I Ean:
'"" as-:::
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;::: :ae
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ii: ??rc:-r-ui
ii' ; :
t?:
-.ii.-?--
B ;L
-sr!? :i r
) ."i._:i4
i`: ;1:.s_LllL5%3=-: a
P
: i-: B
.it- z-?i? ,--.I "-.:-C
I,.. - ; -r:
X;-- ?2?I: i--i-
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.:.
B
c

i:
 36. Silver trefoil oinochoe. Greek, sixth
century B.C.Height to top of handle 20.6
cm; to top of rim, 18.1 cm; diameter 11.86
cm; weight 825 grams. Purchase, Rogers
Fund, Anonymous Gift, and Halina and
John Klejman Gift, 1968 (68.11.11)
The body of the jug and the foot are raised
separatelyand joined with solder. The han-
dle is cast and attached to the rim and to the
shoulder of the jug with solder. Arching
high above the mouth, the handle termi-
nates above in the head of a lion, its mouth
wide open. The mane is not rendered in
relief but by incision. The lateralprojections
on top are in the shape of spools and are
decorated at the ends with rosettes, likewise
incised. The lower finial of the handle, in
low relief, shows the frontal head of a pan-
ther flanked by its forelegs. The beading
along the ridge of the handle and its edges is
also applied to the edges of the spools
above, the fillet between the body of the
vase and the foot, the edge of the foot, and
the junction of panther head and handle.
The conceit of a handle with feline finials is
also observed on bronze hydriai and
oinochoai, but this jug gives us the first,
and to date only, example in silver.
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,"LesTresorsde
l'orfevreriede la Grce orientaleau Metropolitan .N,r~r-
,
.N .
Museumde New York,"in Academiedes Inscrip-
tions et Belles-Lettres,Comptes
Rendus,1981, p. 201,
fig. 6.

31
 - i
_ _MT

<p 4
37. Silveroinochoe.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.Height to top of han-
dle 13.8 cm;to top of rim12.5 cm;diameter11.77cm;weight439
grams.Purchase,RogersFund,AnonymousGift, andHalinaand
JohnKlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.16)
The body,asusual,is raised;the handle,however,is not solidsilver
but hollow,composedof two halvesandfilledwith lead.
Whilethe shapeof thisjug is moreEasternthanGreek,the sculp-
turaladjunctsof the handle-a lion'sheadaboveanda headof the
EgyptiandivinityBesbelow-are typicallyGreek.The mouthis not
completelycircularbut hasa slightspout,the edgesof whichare
incisedon the insideof the lip.

38. Silveroinochoe.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.Heightto top of

handle19.6 cm;to top of rim18.8 cm;diameter13.93 cm;weight
850.5 grams.Purchase,RogersFund,AnonymousGift,Arthur
DarbyNock Fund,in memoryof GiselaRichter,andChristosG.
Bastis,DavidL. KleinJr.MemorialFoundation,Inc., Helen H.
Mertens,RichardA. VanAvery,RuthElizabethWhite,andMrs.
JamesJ. Rorimer,Gifts, 1976 (1976.11.1)
The body is carinated,as is thatof no. 37, but the proportionsare
differentandthe neckis set off moresharplyfromthe shoulder.The
spout is quitepronounced.The casthandleis flutedandterminates
abovein a stylizedeagle'sheadthatappearsto biteinto the lip. Sim-
ilarstylizedanimalheadsappearon Lydianbronzes.

33
39-43. Five silver pitchers. Greek,
sixth century B.C.
39. Height, with handle, 11.6 cm; weight
92 grams. Purchase, Anonymous Gift, 1967
(67.11.16)
40. Height, with handle, 11.3 cm; weight
72 grams. Classical Purchase Fund, 1980
(1980.11.16)
41. Height, with handle, 11.6 cm; weight
107 grams. Fletcher Fund, 1968 (68.11.59)
42. Height, with handle, 9.7 cm; weight
86.5 grams. Purchase, The Abraham Foun-
dation, Inc., Gift, 1975 (1975.11.5)
43. Height, with handle, 11 cm; weight
104.5 grams. Purchase, Mrs. Vincent Astor
Gift, 1966 (66.11.24)
The five silver pitchers are too small to have
served as wine jugs, and it is more likely that
they contained an aromatic liquid that was
added to the wine. All five have the under-
side of the foot decorated in repousse with a
rosette; the handles are riveted to the body,
which, including the foot, is invariably
raised. The lower finial of the handle is
always a palmette, but the decorations of
the body differ. No. 42, the most elaborate,
has tongues on the shoulder and tongues
34
below; nos. 39 and 43 have tongues only on
the shoulder; nos. 40 and 41 have plain
bodies. A further difference is that nos. 39,
42, and 43 have palmettes on the upper
attachment of the handle as well. Other
small silver pitchers of this type are in Berlin
(1974.2 and 3) and Oxford.
44. Bronze jug with slip-on lid. Greek or
Lydian, sixth century B.C.Height to top of
lid 22.5 cm; diameter 16.5 cm. Purchase,
Rogers Fund, Anonymous Gift, and Halina
and John Klejman Gift, 1968 (68.11.18)
The bronze jug is exhibited in the Greek and
(
Roman Treasurybecause it was acquired
with a group of fourteen silver vases that
may all have been found together. Of sim-
ple, rather squat form, the jug is remarkable
owing to its lid, which was slotted along its
lower edge and slipped over the flat handle
before the latter was riveted to the mouth
and body of the jug. The same technique is
known from Lydian pottery (e.g., 14.30.22;
MMA Bulletin n.s. 26 [1967-68], p. 199,
upper right). The tiering of the lid may be
compared with the similar convention on
the lid of the incense burner (no. 68).
Bibliography:C. H. Greenewalt,Jr.,Ritual Dinners
in EarlyHistoricSardis,1978, p. 12. n. 3.
45. Silveralabastron.Greek,sixthcentury
B.C.Height 10.3 cm;diameter3.6 cm;
weight 115grams.RogersFund,1966
(66.11.27)
Of allthe silveralabastraknownthisis the
most elaborate.The body is dividedinto
fourpictorialzonesseparatedby ornamen-
tal bandsof differentpatterns.In the top
registera naturaldivisioninto anobverse
andreverseis furnishedby the two lugs in
the shapeof ducks'heads;eachpicturein
this zone is of two cocksconfrontingeach
other.The secondregistercontinuesthe
distinctionbetweenbackandfrontby
havingon the obversea lionessanda lion
attackinga bullfacingleft, whileon the
reversethe bullbeing attackedby the
lionessandthe lion facesright.In the third
zone a battleof warriorsrages:two pha-
lanxesattackeachother,fivewarriorson the
left againstsixon the right,and,to avoid
too obviousa suture,the battlesceneon the
othersidedepictsa duel betweentwo
hoplites.The lowestregistershowson the
obversea trio of fallowdeer,followedby a
fourthon the rightthattakesup mostof the
spaceon the back.The roundedbottomof
the alabastronis decoratedflorally:fourcir-
cumscribedpalmettesarearrangedsym-
metricallywith eight additional,somewhat
smallerpalmettesin the spandrels.
Bibliography:All our silveralabastraarediscussedin
ArtibusAegypti,Brussels,1983, pp. 15-23, figs.
5-12.

35
46. Silveralabastron.Greek,sixthcentury 48. Silveralabastron.Greek,sixthcentury
B.C.Height 12.6 cm; diameter4.77 cm; B.C.Height 14.04 cm; diameter4.36 cm;
weight 76 grams.FletcherFund, 1968 weight 71 grams.Purchase,ChristosG.
(68.11.61) BastisGift, 1967 (67.11.10)
The systemof dividingthe body into four The body of the vaseis divided(ason some
zones by ornamentalbandsis the sameas on of the others)into threezones by narrow
the alabastronwith figures(no. 45), but ornamentalbandsof whichthreehavespe-
herethe zones areleft empty.On the bot- cialsaltiresquares.The secondbandhas
tom, insteadof the palmetteconfiguration, hatchedtriangleslikethose appliedto no.
is a rosettecomposedof eight lozenges. 47. On the bottomis a rosettewith sixteen
The ornamentsin the bandsaretongues petals.The plumageon the duck's-headlugs
(on top), saltiresquares,a cablepattern, is closerto thaton no. 47 thanto thaton
lozenges,andsaltiresquares.The lugs, no. 45.
againin the shapeof ducks'heads,arenot
workedseparatelybut, as is usualin this
groupof silveralabastra,raisedfromthe
insideof the vase.
47. Silveralabastron.Greek,sixthcentury
B.C.Height, with stopper,16.46 cm, with-
out stopper,15.15cm; diameter5.2 cm;
weight 96 grams.ClassicalPurchaseFund,
1980 (1980.11.15)
The stopper,hemisphericalanddecorated
with a whirlingpattern,is attachedto a
shorthollow cylinderthatslipsinto another
cylinderattachedto the rimof the vesselby
a flangethatcoversandstrengthensit. The
ornamentaldecorationis limitedto tongues
below the neckandthreedividingbands
(squaresandhatchedtriangles,cablepat-
tern,opposedhatchedtriangles).The
bottom has an elaboratestarrosettewith
twenty-twopoints. Likethe othersilverala-
bastraof this class,this one is equippedwith
lugs in the formof ducks'heads.
36
49. Silverskyphos,with foot restored.
Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.Height, as
restored,16.6 cm, as preserved,12.5 cm;
width 22.04 cm; diameter14.26-15.33 cm;
weight,as restored,597 grams.Gift of
Mr.andMrs.ThomasS. Brush,1971
(1971.118).Ex coll. Hagop Kevorkian
As on the silveralabastra,the body is
dividedinto zones by narrowornamental
bands.The top zone hereis decoratedwith
linkedhangingpalmettesandlotuses,
lightlyengraved.The secondzone presents
in the centerof eachsideheraldicsphinxes;
undereachhandle,heraldiclions raisea
forelegat an elaboraterosettein the center.
In the thirdzone six grazingfallowdeer
advanceto the left, followedby a wading
bird(probablya demoisellecrane).The last
zone is againornamental-a zig-zagband
surmountedateachangleby palmettes.
In techniqueandcompositionthe
engraveddrawingis verycloseto thaton
one of the silveralabastra(no. 45), espe-
ciallyin the treatmentof the fallowdeer.
The bodyof the skyphosis raised;the
roundhandlesarecast.The foot hasbeen
restoredon the analogyof Lydianterracotta
skyphoi.
Bibliography:Sale cat., Sotheby's,London, Dec. 8,
1970, lot 36 (ill.).

37
50. Silverbeaker.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 10.7cm;diameter6.12 cm;weight
64 grams.Purchase,AnonymousGift, 1967
(67.11.11)
The body is fluted,andat the junctionof
neckandshoulderthereis a notchedfillet.
The beakermaybe comparedwith a some-
whatlargerglassbeakerin the Corning
Museumof Glass(ace.no. 66.1.16;Journal
ofGlassStudies9 [1967], p. 133, fig. 3).
38
51. Silverbeaker.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 11.8cm;diameter6.2 cm;weight
107 grams.FletcherFund,1968 (68.11.60)
This beakershareswith no. 50 the fluting
andthe filletat the junctionof neckand
shoulder.Its bottom,however,is not round
but flatanddecoratedwith a fourteen-
petaledrosette.The rosettelinksthe beaker
stylisticallyto the smallsilverpitchers(nos.
39-43).
52. Silverjarwith lid. Greek,sixthcentury
B.C.Height, with lid, 9.06 cm, withoutlid,
6.8 cm; diameter5 cm; weight 72.6 grams.
Purchase,RogersFund,AnonymousGift,
andHalinaandJohnKlejmanGift, 1968
(68.11.5)
The body andlid areraised.The heavyring
handleon top of the lid is solderedto it. The
jarwasperhapsusedfor cosmetics.
53. Silversitulawith swingingbailand
chain.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.Height,
with bailupright,9.5 cm, to top of rim6.75
cm; lengthof chain53.34 cm; totalweight
106.7grams.Purchase,AnonymousGift,
1973 (1973.11.10)
The body of the situlais raised,andthe
hammeredomega-shaped bailis slipped
throughtwo holesnearthe rim.The chain,
whichconsistsof forty links,is attached
with an oval ringto the bailandfurnished
with a ringat the otherend thatcanbe slip-
ped on a finger.No exactparallelsexistfor
this silversitula,but its shapecanbe saidto
resembleEgyptiansitulae.
Bibliography:Sale cat., Sotheby's,London, July10,
1972, no. 60 (ill.).
54. Silver saucer.Greek, sixth century B.C.
Height 1.4 cm; diameter 7.25 cm; weight
38.4 grams. Purchase, Rogers Fund, Anon-
ymous Gift, and Halina and John Klejman
Gift, 1968 (68.11.6)
The small saucer has a rounded bottom and
resembles three such silver saucers excavated
at Sardis and now in the Istanbul Archae-
ological Museum.
55. Silversaucerwith spout andhandle. 56. Silverdish.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.Height 2.15 cm; Height 1 cm; diameter8.8 cm;weight 87.3
diameter7.5 cm;width 10.5 cm; weight grams.Purchase,Mrs.VincentAstorGift,
51.5 grams.Purchase,RogersFund,Anony- 1966 (66.11.25)
mousGift, andHalinaandJohnKlejman
This smallshallowdishbearsa faintgraffito
Gift, 1968 (68.11.7) on the flatbottomin the formof the Greek
The shallowsaucerandthe spoutwere letterchi.
raisedfroma singlediskof sheetsilver;the
loop handlewasforgedseparatelyand
attachedto the rimwith rivets.The flat-
tened,circularendsof the loop aredeco-
ratedwith incisedrosettes.A ligature
composedof a retrogradekappaandlambda
appearstwice,lightlyengravedon the out-
side below andto the rightof the handle.
39
 57. Silverplatterwith swinginghandle.
Greek,latesixthcenturyB.C.Height to
edge 4.8 cm; diameter30.46 cm; length,
with handleextended,39.7 cm; weight
1,525.5 grams.Purchase,RogersFund,
>
AnonymousGift, andHalinaandJohn
KlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.3)
/* 4 f*

The shallowbowl of the platteris raised,

andalmosthalfof the peripheryof the rim
, , U P
s
I~~~~~,
dAki is reinforcedby a semicircular rodthatis
rivetedto it in four places,aswell as sol-
deredto it alongits entirelength.To this
supportareattachedtwo hammeredrings
thatin turnhold the hammeredomega-
shapedswinginghandle,the finialsof which
arein the shapeof buds.Suchlargeshallow
plattersareknownmostlyfrombronze
examples,two of which,now in the British
Museum,werefound in a tomb (datedto
the late sixth century B.C.) in Amathus on
Cyprus;a third,now in the J.PaulGetty
Museumin Malibu(acc.no. 78 A.C. 403),
hasa largefloralrosettein the center.

58. Silvercoverwith ringhandle.Greek,

latesixthcenturyB.C.Height to top of ring
handle5.6 cm; diameter18.06 cm;weight
246.6 grams.Purchase,RogersFund,
AnonymousGift, andHalinaandJohn
KlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.15)
The lid properis raisedfroma singledisk.
To its top, in the center,is soldereda rosette
with twenty-twopetals,whichin turnis
surmountedby a smallballthatholdsthe
ring.The ringhandlecover,acquired
togetherwith the platter(no. 57), mayhave
been foundsittingin it, for a faintcircular
discolorationon the surfaceof the insideof
the plattercorrespondsto the diameterof
the lid.

40
59. Silverkyathos(ladle).Greek,sixthcen-
turyB.C.Height 22.7 cm; diameterof bowl
4.8 cm; weight 89 grams.RogersFund,
1966 (66.11.26)
Of allthe archaicmetalladlesknownthis is
the most elaborate.It wasmadein several
parts:the bowl wasraisedfroma silverdisk,
andthe handleandthe loop on top were
castseparately, aswerethe two sphinxes
flankingit at the junctionto the bowl.The
handleis joinedto the bowl with rivets;the
loop on top is solderedon, as arethe two
sphinxesbelow.The iconographyis quite
extraordinary. The facetedhandletermi-
natesbelowin the forepartof a wingedlion,
sculptedin the roundas farbackas its
haunches;it seemsto plungeinto the bowl
as if drinkingfromit. The two sphinxes
heraldicallyplacedon the rimof the bowl
aresomewhatsmallerin scale.The handle
terminatesabovein a lotus capitalof 60. Silverkyathos.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
vaguelyAchaemenianform.The loop above Height 16.68 cm; diameterof bowl 5.3 cm;
is decoratedin reliefwith two hybrideagle- weight47 grams.RogersFund,1975
griffinsthathaveeagles'heads,wings, and (1975.11.3)
talons,horses'ears,andlions'forelegs. The facetedhandleandthe loop areham-
Bibliography:T. P. E Hoving, TheChase,theCap- meredfromone rod of silver;the lowerend
ture, 1975, p. 119, fig. 20; D. von Bothmer"Les is attachedto the bowl with threerivetsthat
Tresorsde l'orfevreriede la Greceorientaleau Metro-
politanMuseumde New York,"in Academiedes
go throughandpartlyobscurethe engraved
Inscriptionset Belles-Lettres,Comptes Rendus,1981, palmetteon the finial.The loop terminates
pp. 194ff, fig. 3.
abovein the headof a calf.This kyathosis
somewhatshorterthanthe othersin the
Museumbut the styleof the animalhead
andthe facetinglinkit with the otherladles.
The techniqueof rivetingthe finialof the
handleto the body alsooccurson someof
the smallsilverpitchers.

61. Silverkyathos.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 20.94 cm; diameterof bowl 6.12
cm; weight 107.6grams.Purchase,Rogers
Fund,AnonymousGift, andHalinaand
JohnKlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.4)
The bowl, stem,andloop areallhammered
andraisedfromone pieceof silver.The loop
curveson top awayfromthe bowl,not
towardit as on no. 60. The finelychased
finialis in the shapeof a calfs head.

41
62. Silverkyathos.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 23.25 cm; diameterof bowl 5.83
cm; weight 101grams.ClassicalPurchase
Fund, 1980 (1980.11.14)
On this kyathosthe bowl andthe handleare
raisedfromone pieceof metal.The cast
loop on top of the handleis joinedto the
stemof the handlewith solder,as is the finial
in the formof a quatrefoillotus.The stemis
fluted.The loop is decoratedwith two
heraldiclionsworkedin a techniquesimilar
to thatusedon the loop of no. 59 in thatthe
animalsarepartlyin the roundandpartlyin
relief.The lions toucheachotherwith their
extendedfrontlegs andaverttheirheads.A
variantof this heraldicrepresentation
occurson the loop of a silverkyathosin
Cleveland(ace.no. 56.34; Bulletinofthe
Cleveland MuseumofArt 45 [1958], p. 46),
on whichthe lions faceeachother,andin
placeof the lotus finialon top of the stem
therearetwo animalheads.
MuseumofArt,
Bibliography:TheMetropolitan
Annual Report1980-1981,1981, pp. 36-37; idem,
1980-1981, 1981, p. 12.
NotableAcquisitions
42
63. Silverkyathos.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 22.04 cm; diameterof bowl4.556
cm; weight 72.7 grams.ArthurDarbyNock
Fund,in memoryof GiselaRichter,and
RogersFund,1976 (1976.11.4)
This ladle,somewhatsmallerthannos. 59
and62, introducesyet anothervariant.The
ladle'sstemandbowl areraisedin one piece
as on no. 62, with whichit alsosharesthe
quatrefoillotus on top, but the loop sur-
mountingthe stemdoes not havecomplete
animalsbut only lions'heads,as on many
GreekandGreco-Persian bracelets.Closest
to this kyathosis one formerlyin the collec-
tion ofTheodor Wiegand(K. A. Neu-
gebauer,Antiken in deutschemPrivatbesitz,
1938, pl. 89, no. 209).
64. Silverkyathos.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Height 19.71cm; diameterof bowl4.665
cm; weight 80.4 grams.Purchase,Anony-
mousGift, 1973 (1973.11.11)
This is the plainestof the Museum's
kyathoi.It is withoutanysculptural
adjunctsandornamentationandmaybe
comparedwith a silverkyathosfromSardis
in the museumat Istanbul.The loop in the
form of a plainringis attachedwith solder.
Bibliography:Sale cat., Sotheby's,London, July10,
1972, no. 60 (ill.).
65. Silverspoon. Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Length,as preserved,10.7cm;weight27
grams.Gift of Mr.andMrs.J.J.Klejman,
1968 (68.5)
Hammeredandraisedfroma singlepieceof
silver,this ratherflatspoon hasa shortstem
turnedinto a loop thatterminatesin a
duck'shead.The headof a duckas a sculp-
turaladjunctalsooccurson the four silver
alabastrain the Museum'scollection(nos.
45-48).
 66. Silverstrainer.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Length,with the bowl horizontal,28.26
cm;diameterof bowl 12.76cm; depthof
bowl 6.3 cm;weight 325 grams.Fletcher
Fund, 1968 (68.11.58)
The bowl of thisstrainer(whichis raised)
hasa broadconcaverimanda steeper
omphalos-shaped bulgethatis perforatedin
two tiers:on the innercentralportion the
perforationsform a whirligigto left, while
on the surroundingzone the tiny holesare
drilledin a sicklepatternfacingthe other
way.The diameterof the innercup (8 cm)
wouldhavecorrespondedto the diameterof
the goblet or beakerinto whichthe wine
wasstrained.The heavy,flathandleis cast
andattachedto the bowl at an anglewith
threerivetsthatarecarefullyplacedso as
not to destroythe symmetryof the
engravedandchasedpalmetteof the finial.
A hook in the shapeof a duck'sheadand
neckis providedat the otherend.

67. Silverstrainer.Greek,sixthcenturyB.C.
Length21.63 cm; diameterof bowl 8.5 cm;
depthof bowl 5.45 cm;weight217.1grams.
Purchase,AnonymousGift, 1973
(1973.11.7)
Here the strainerpartof the bowl is dome-
shapedandset off fromthe broad,slightly
slantedrimwith a collar.Its smalldiameter
(belowthe collar:4.71cm) suggeststhatit
wasusedwith a beakeror goblet with a
fairlysmallmouth.Partof the stemof the
handleis hexagonalin cross-section;at its
junctionwith the rimof the bowl the han-
dle flaresout at eitherside andis decorated
~' on its uppersurfacewith an incisedlotus.
!' ~The stemis reinforcedwith two groupsof
threeprofiledrings,andits upperend
curvesin a semicircleto the left andtermi-
natesin the headof a calf.A rowof small
circlesis punchedallthe wayaroundthe
edge of the rim.The holesof the strainerare
evenlyspacedin elevenconcentriccircles
andarelimitedto the verybottom.Two
similarstrainersarein the BritishMuseum
(118462;117840).This strainerwas
acquiredwith a ladle(no. 64), a situlaand
chain(no. 53), andtwo plainbowls (nos.
33 and34), allof whicharesaidto have
- ;.)
beenfoundtogether.
Bibliography:Salecat., Sotheby's,London, July10,
'^T~~I~ 1972, no. 60 (ill.).

43
68. Silverincenseburner.Greek,sixthcen-
turyB.C.Height 28.2 cm; diameterof base
10.6 cm;weight221 grams.ClassicalPur-
chaseFund,1980 (1980.11.12)
An inscriptionin Lydianletterson the flare
of the baseidentifiesthis censeras the prop-
erty of Artimas.The supportis carinated
andshowsa pronouncedbulgetowardthe
top. It also hastwo ducks'headslikethose
on the manysilveralabastra(cf. nos.
45-48), one of whichhasa perforationfor
the attachmentof a chainwith six linksstill
preserved.The standis raisedfroma single
diskof sheetsilverto whichthe raisedcup
of the incenseburnerproperis soldered.
This cup has a pronouncedoffset upright
rim overwhicha conicalcoverfitssnugly.
The cover,also raised,hasten tiers,of
whicheight areperforatedwith arrow-
shapedslots for the diffusionof the smok-
ing incense.This coveris surmountedby a
caststatuetteof a cock,the plinthof whichis
solderedto a smallfloralsaucer.The finialis
rivetedto the cover,andthereis a ring in
the fantailto whichthe chainwas attached.
The sculpturaladjunctsof this veryelabo-
rateincenseburnerconnectits styleso
closelywith thatof the particularly fineala-
bastron(no. 45) thatone canthinkof both
as beingmadein the sameworkshop.
Cockson top of incenseburnercoversare
knownfromEgypt (cf. G. Maspero,in Le
MuseeEgyptien 2 [1907], pp. 54ff, pl. 24), a
Punicgravestelein Vienna(J.M. Carrie,
Byrsa,vol. 1, 1979, pp. 319ff,fig. lib), and
an Etruscanbronzeincenseburneron the
Swissmarket:it is not surprisingthatsuch
decorativeconceitstraveledwidelyin the
ancientworld.
Bibliography:TheMetropolitan MuseumofArt,
AnnualReport1980-1981,1981, pp. 36-37; idem, 69. Bronzeincenseburner.Greek,sixth
1980-1981, 1981, p. 12; D. von
NotableAcquisitions centuryB.C.Length62.5 cm. Purchase,
Bothmer,"LesTresorsde l'orfevreriede la Grce ori- RogersFund,AnonymousGift, andHalina
entale au MetropolitanMuseumde New York,"in
Academiedes Inscriptionset Belles-Lettres,Comptes
andJohnKlejmanGift, 1968 (68.11.17)
Rendus,1981, pp. 194ff, fig. 5; R. Gusmani,inKad- Thoughnot madeof preciousmetal,this
mos22 (1983), pp. 56-60, pl. 1 (on the inscription).
uniqueincenseburneris exhibitedwith
tablesilverof the periodandstylebecauseit
musthavebeenpartof a banquetservice.It
wasmadein severalparts:the bowl proper,
in whichthe incensewasburned,is soldered
to an interveningcastmemberthatendsin a
sleevefor the carryingrod;lateralprojec-

44
tions in the form of ducks' heads set back-
to-back flank this member and are soldered
to it as well as to the bowl, the whole form-
ing a finial. On top of this finial a lug is per-
forated crossways to serve as a pivot for the
hind feet of a cast statuette of a calf that
turns its head back. Its front hooves are
attached to a short plinth that in turn is
riveted to the domed, tiered cover of the
incense burner. Like the silver incense
burner (no. 68), the cover has arrow-shaped
perforations in two of its five tiers. It is
equipped with a knob on top that is riveted
to the cover. The other end of the long car-
rying rod is capped by a cast head of a calf. 41.
Unlike pedestaled incense burners, which
were set on tables in a room or sanctuary,
the horizontal one was carried by hand and
moved from side to side, like the so-called
arm censers from Egypt. No other incense
burners of this type have been found in
Greece or Anatolia, but a Syrian "arm
censer,"made of steatite and somewhat
shorter than ours, combines the Egyptian
convention of a hand holding the cup with
the new element of a long rod terminating
in the head of a bull, and thus supplies the
missing link between the time-honored
Egyptian shape and its later adaptation.
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,in MonumentsPiot61
(1977), pp. 51-53. (The Syrianarmcenseris pub-
lished in the sale cat., Sotheby's,London, Dec.
12-13,1983, pp. 22-23, no. 87.)

70. Silver cosmetic box with cover and its

silver scoop. Greek, sixth century B.C.
Height 3.35 cm; width 8.87 cm; length
9.22 cm; weight 350 grams. Length of
scoop 7.35 cm; weight 10.4 grams. Pur-
chase, Rogers Fund, Anonymous Gift, and
Halina and John Klejman Gift, 1968
(68.11.12 [box] and 68.11.13 [scoop])
The box proper, almost square in shape, is
divided into a cylindrical central compart-
ment and four adjacent angular ones. One
of the dividing walls is notched to accom-
modate the small cosmetic scoop. The lid is
flat and swivels horizontally around a rivet
in the middle of the north wall; on the
opposite wall the lid is slotted to accept a
swiveling stud that moves around an axle
attached inside the box near the top of the
wall. In addition to these two functional
studs there are five other buttons, or "nail
heads," on the lid, soldered onto its center
and its four corners, that are purely orna-
mental (the one in the northeast corner is
missing). Thus the cosmetic box when
closed would look hermetically sealed and
could only be opened by those familiar with
the mechanism. The heads of the studs are
gilt. 71. Silver mirror disk. Greek, sixth century ing from the disk has three rivet holes for
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,"LesTresorsde B.C.Diameter 17.3 cm; length, as preserved, attaching a handle of either wood or ivory,
Porfevreriede la Grce orientaleau Metropolitan 18.92 cm; weight 428.7 grams. Purchase, which has not survived.
Museumde New York,"in Academiedes Inscrip-
tions et Belles-Lettres,Comptes Rogers Fund, Anonymous Gift, and Halina Not many archaicsilver mirrors are
Rendus,1981, pp.
194ff, fig. 8. and John Klejman Gift, 1968 (68.11.10) known. One was found in Gordion in a cre-
mation burial of the mid-sixth century and
The highly polished convex surface of this
is now in Ankara (UniversityMuseumBul-
mirror was used for reflection. It must have
letin [Philadelphia] 16 [1951], p. 20, fig. 1).
been hand-held, for the silver tong project-

45
 -w ~ %

rr ?bc,

I' PI?1L R;IIIIII r

..k
72-76. Group of objects said to have
been found at Prusias. Greek, second half
of fourth century B.C.Bequest of WalterC.
Baker, 1971. Ex coll. Wilhelm Fabricius

72. Silver kyathos. Height 27.3 cm; diame-

ter of bowl 6.95 cm; weight 150.4 grams.
(1972.118.161)

73. Silver kylix. Height to top of handles

7.7 cm, to rim 6.7 cm; diameter of mouth
10.61-11 cm; width 16.62 cm; weight 220.1
grams. (1972.118.164)
74. Bronze situla with swinging handles.
Height, with handles raised, 32 cm, with
handles lowered, to top of attachments,
24.9 cm; diameter of mouth 19.4 cm.
(1972.118.88)

75. Silver phiale. Height 4.8 cm; diameter

15.8 cm; weight 315 grams. (1972.118.163)

76. Silver strainer.Length 13.13 cm; diame-

ter of bowl 7.58 cm; weight 49.2 grams.
(1972.118.162) 77. Silver bowl with offset rim. Greek, late 78. Silver cup. Greek, late fourth century
These five objects, said to have been found fourth-third century B.C.Height 5.1 cm; B.C.Height 6.4 cm; diameter 9.56 cm;
together in Prusias (Bithynia), constitute a diameter 9.8 cm; weight 124.6 grams. weight 184 grams. Bequest of WalterC.
table service that on the analogy of similar Bequest of WalterC. Baker,1971 Baker, 1971 (1972.118.159)
finds in South Russia and Arzos (northern (1972.118.160) This sturdy wine cup is of a type well known
Greece) can be dated in the second half of The bowl has a slight depression on the bot- from recent finds in northern Greece (cf.
the fourth century B.C.The kyathos is in the
tradition of the archaicladles of which the tom; the shoulder is carinated and has a The SearchforAlexander [1980], pp. 160-61,
Museum has many examples. The cup and chased tongue pattern below it. Similar con- no. 120; p. 184, no. 164). It has a central
stem are worked from a single piece of sil- ventions of decoration occur on earlierEast boss decorated on the underside with an
ver. The upper end of the stem is bent back Greek silver vessels that betray the influence elaborate floral rosette done in repousse.
to form a hook that terminates in a duck's of Achaemenian silver phialai. The lower part of the wall is chased with
head and neck. The perforations of the Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,Greek,Etruscan,and flutings surmounted by a narrow guilloche
strainer are patterned in a whirligig; the RomanAntiquities... WalterCummingsBaker,Esq., and, on the shoulder, a Lesbian kymation.
1950, p. 13, no. 103; idem,AncientArtfromNew Tracesof parcel gilding remain in these two
handle, which is worked separatelyand sol- YorkPrivateCollections, 1961, p. 69, no. 275, pi. 100;
dered on, has a duck's-head finial. The bands.
idem, in TheSearchforAlexander, Supplement, New
phiale is decorated on the outside with a York,1982, p. 13, no. S49. Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,Greek,Etruscan,and
RomanAntiquities... WalterCummingsBaker,Esq.,
complex rosette in the center of its bottom 1950, p. 13, no. 102; idem,AncientArtfromNew
from which forty-eight narrow leaves rise. YorkPrivateCollections, 1961, p. 70, no. 276, pl. 100;
The drinking cup is of a shape well known idem, in TheSearchforAlexander,Supplement, New
from bronze and terracotta kylikes. The York,1982, p. 13, no. S48.
foot and handles are worked separatelyand
soldered on. The inside has a tondo bor-
dered by a kymation in a zone around the
central circle, which is embellished with six
palmettes connected with tendrils-a pat-
tern known in Attic pottery from the sec-
ond half of the fifth century on. The phiale
has sometimes been called Persian, but as
more phialai are becoming known an
equally strong claim for Greek manufacture
can be made.
Bibliography:K. A. Neugebauer,Antikenin deut-
schemPrivatbesitz,1938, p. 47, pls. 90-91, nos.
210-14; G. M. A. Hanfmann,AncientArtinAmer-
icanPrivateCollections, 1954, p. 37, pls. 86, 88, no.
307; D. von Bothmer,AncientArtfromNew York
PrivateCollections,1961, p. 37, no. 142, pls. 44, 52,
and pp. 68-69, nos. 266-69, pls. 100-101; D. E.
Strong, GreekandRomanGoldand SilverPlate,1966,
pp. 91-92, fig. 21, pl. 22A-C; D. von Bothmer,in
TheSearchforAlexander, Supplement, New York,
1982, pp. 8-9, nos. S24-28.

47
79. Silverphiale.Saidto be fromAkarnania
(Greece).Greek,fourthcenturyB.C.Height
4.5 cm; diameter15.4 cm; weight 378.3
grams.RogersFund, 1921 (21.88.34). Ex
coll. CecilHarcourtSmith
This libationbowl bearson the outsideof
the offset lip justbelow the rimtwo Greek
letters,alphaandgamma,thatarelightly
incised;to the left of the lettersa six-
pointeddot circleis punchedmoredeeply.
As on the Prusiasphiale(no. 75), the center
of the undersideis decoratedwith a ro-
sette-here composedof sixteenpetals.
Aroundthis rosetteandreachingallthe way
up to the beginningof the offset lip are
twenty-fivepointed, ribbedleaves,with
anothertwenty-five,partlyhidden,
arrangedin an innercircle.The innerleaves
andthe rosettearegilded, as is the ridge
encirclingthe tips of the leavesat the junc-
tion of lip andbody.The floraldecoration
andthe ridgearechased.
80. Silverkylix.Saidto havebeenfound in kymationon the uppermember.Belowthe
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,1977, Athens.Greek,thirdcenturyB.C.Height to rima narrowwavepatternencirclesthe cup,
p. 42, no. 12 (with complete references).
top of handles7.74cm, to top of rim 7.25 andfollowingthat,partlyobscuredby the
cm;width 18 cm;diameter10.12-10.46 handles,is a broaderbandof ivy leavesand
cm;weight 170 grams.RogersFund,1916 corymbs.All the ornamentalzones aregilt.
(16.62) Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,in TheSearchfor
Alexander,Supplement, New York,1982, p. 12, no.
The handlesarecastandsolderedon; the S42 (with earlierreferences).
foot, whichis raisedseparatelyandlikewise
soldered,is in two degreesandbearsa
48
81-85. Group of five silver objects said
to have been found together Greek,late
fourth-thirdcenturyB.C.Bequestof Walter
C. Baker,1971.
8L Silverpyxiswith lid. Height,without
lid, 5.7 cm, with lid, 6.1 cm;diameterof
base6.3 cm;weight91.2 grams.
(1972.118.157)
82. Silverstrigil(scraper).Length25.1 cm;
weight 64.9 grams.(1972.118.158)
83. Silverkylix.Height to top of handles
8.45 cm, to top of rim9.35 cm;width 18.14
cm;diameter10.51cm;weight 157.9grams.
(1972.118.154)
84. Silverpitcher(handlemissing).Height
8.75 cm; diameter8.2 cm;weight 130.2
grams.(1972.118.156)
Q
85. Silverperfumebottle. Height 11.1cm;
diameter6.25 cm;weight97.2 grams.
(1972.118.155)
The strigilandthe kylixareundecorated,
but the bottle,the pitcher,andthe pyxis
havechasedornamentalbandsthataregilt.
In addition,the pitcherhason its slightly
depressedbottoma gilt floralrosettecom-
posedof two differentquatrefoils.The
pyxisbearsengravedconcentriccircleson
the underside.
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,in TheSearchfor
New York,1982, pp. 12-13,
Aleander, Supplement,
nos. S43-47 (with completeearlierreferences).
-C
 86. Goldphialemesomphalos.Greek,per-
hapsfourthcenturyB.C.Height 3.7 cm;
diameter22.4-22.75 cm;weight 747
grams.RogersFund,1962 (62.11.1)
This libationbowl, of the traditionalGreek
form anddecoration,is workedin repousse.
The motifs arearrangedin fourconcentric
circlesof thirty-threeelementseach:the
bottomrow representsbeechnuts,the other
three,acornsincreasingin size towardthe
rim.The largerintersticesin the top register
aredecoratedwith bees,the smallerones in
the lowerpartwith simplerornaments
basedon stylizedlotuses.On the insideof
the phialea collararoundthe omphalosdis-
playsfifteencircumscribed palmettes;six
solderingmarksaroundits peripheryindi-
catethatseparategold ornamentswereonce
attachedto it. Therearetwo incisedinscrip-
tions on the outsidein the flatzone around
the depressionof the omphalos.One, in
Greekletterstracedverysketchily,givesthe
beginningof a name,"Pausi...,"which
maybe restoredto Pausias,Pausileon,
Pausimachos,Pausippos,or Pausistratos.
The other inscription,moredeeply
engraved,readingfromrightto left, is in
Punic(Carthaginian)charactersthatindi-
catethe weight,givenhereas 180. Ancient
weightswerebasedon monetaryunits,and
if we dividethe preservedweightin grams
by 180 we obtaina unitveryclosein weight
to thatof the Attic drachmain the period
betwen429 and230 B.C.The Carthaginian
charactersaredatedin the thirdcenturyB.C.,
but the inscriptionmayhavebeenadded
laterwhen the bowl changedownership.
In anyevent,the decorationwith acorns
occursas earlyas the latesixthcenturyB.C.
on a fragmentaryphialefromCyprusnow
in Warsawandmusthavebeentraditional:
not only aregold andsilverphialaiin temple
inventoriesoften called"phialaiakylotai"or
"phialaibalanotai"(both adjectivesrefer-
ringto acorns),the acornsalsoappearon
the phialaiheldby the caryatidsof the
Erechtheumon the Acropolisin Athens,as
we learnfromthe Romancopiesfoundin
Hadrian'svilla.
Bibliography:D. von Bothmer,in MMABulletinn.s.
21 (1962-63), pp. 154-66; D. E. Strong, Greekand
RomanGoldand SilverPlate,1966, pp. 97-98, pl.
23A.

50
87. Silver-giltbowl. LateHellenistic,sec-
ond-first centuryB.C. Saidto havebeen
found at Olbiain SouthRussiain 1917.
Height 7.25 cm; diameter14.64 cm;weight
242 grams.RogersFund,1922 (22.50.2).
Ex coil. J.Chmielowski
The decorationon the bowl is in repousse. - ,
Featuredon the bottomis a starrosetteof
eight pointswith leavesbetween,from ,
whichrisetendrilsthatterminatein flowers
andfan-shapedpalmettes.In this floralset-
ting a pairof Erotesflyingtowardeach
otherappearon eachsideof the bowl. On
the better-preserved side,the Eroson the
left holdsa stemmedcupwhilethe one on
the rightapproachesplayingthe double
flutes.On the oppositeside,the righthand
of the Eroson the left is hidden;the one
facinghim carriesa kantharosby the
handle.
Bibliography:CatalogueoftheAmericanArtGalleries,
New York,Feb. 23-25,1922, no. 745 (ill.); MMA
Bulletin17 (1922), p. 134, fig. 2; K. V. Trevor,
Greco-BactrianArt Treasures, 1940, pp. 70ff, fig. 6;
G. M. A. Richter,HandbookoftheGreekCollection,
1953, p. 127,no. 52, fig. 106b; P. E. Corbett and
D. E. Strong, in BritishMuseumQuarterly23 (1961),
p. 81, no. 43; D. E. Strong, GreekandRomanGold
and SilverPlate, 1966, p. 110.

88. Bronzemirrorwith wooden backing

set in a silver-giltframe.Saidto havebeen
found in Bulgariabefore1911.Hellenistic,
fourth-thirdcenturyB.C.Diameter16.7
cm;depth5.6 cm;weight,with backing,
311grams.RogersFund,1922 (22.50.1).
Ex coill.J.Chmielowski
The bronzediskof the mirroris attachedto
a dome-shapedwooden backequippedwith
a ringhandle.The frame,castin cire-perdu,
slipsoverthe wooden backingandthe disk
likea collar.It wasfastenedwith nailsalong
the overhangingflangeandon top, where
the nailheadsarecamouflagedby the centers
of the floralvolutes.The decoration,in
openwork,is a rinceauof palmettes,
flowers,andleavesthatservesas a feeding
groundfor fourgracefulherons.The frame
is borderedby beading.
The provenancein the firstpublication
(1922), "Foundat Olbiain SouthRussia
between1900 and1918,"is contradictedby
a mountedphotographof this mirrorin the
archivesof the BritishMuseumthatbears
the label(datedFebruary1911):"Saidto
havebeenfound in Bulgaria." Suchmirrors
areknownfromthe East,especiallySouth
Russia.It hasbeensuggestedthatthe
wooden backmayhavebeencoveredwith
fabric,whichwouldhaveset off the a jour
.-~ ~__relief
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~> of the framemost effectively.
Bibliography:CatalogueoftheAmenricanArt
Galleries,
New York,Feb. 23-25,1922, no. 753; G. M. A.
Richterand C. Alexander,inAmericanJournalof
(1947), pp. 221ff.
Archaeology

51
89, 90. Pairof silvered-tinphialai.Saidto
havebeen found togetherat Spina.Greek,
latefifthcenturyB.C.(39.11.4):height4.5
cm; diameter(estimated)25 cm; weight
458 grams.(47.11.9):height4.6 cm; diame-
ter (estimated)25 cm; weight464 grams.
HarrisBrisbaneDick Fund,1939 (39.11.4);
RogersFund,1947 (47.11.9)
Both phialaiwerehammeredoverthe same
matrixandaredecoratedwith the samesub-
jects.The insideof eachphialeis divided
into two zones, the outerof whichis much
broader.The chiefsubjectin the outerzone
is the triumphalapotheosisof Heraklesin a
cortegeof four chariotsdrivenby Victories.
The chariotof Dionysosis followed by
those of Herakles,Athena,andAres.The
lowerzone, the predella,showsgods feast-
ing on Mt. Olympusat the weddingof Her-
aklesandHebe: Hebe is offeringa phiale
anda wreathto Herakles;a reclining
woman(or goddess)is playingthe tym-
panon;a smallwingedfigureis flying
towardAphroditeandAres;Erosis proffer-
ing a wine cup to an old silenwho helps
himselfto food; nextcomesApollo playing
the kitharaanda museplayingthe harp;and
the compositionis concludedby Ariadne
andDionysosandanold hairysilenplaying
the flutes,who areflankedon the left by an
incenseburnerandon the rightby a
panther.
The mainsceneis knownfromseveral
replicas,some of laterdate,thatattestto the
popularityof the subject.
Bibliography:G. M. A. Richter,inAmericanJournal
(1941), pp. 363ff, and (1950), pp. 357ff.
ofArchaeology

52
91. Goldplatefor a scabbard.Saidto have
beenfoundnearNikopol in SouthRussia.
Greek,fourthcenturyB.C.Length54.5 cm.
RogersFund,1930 (30.11.12)
This swordsheathhasbeenknownsince
before1914,as photographsof it werefor-
merlyin the ImperialRussianInstitutein
Constantinople.The shapeis thatof the tra-
ditionalScythianscabbardsfor the akinakes,
of whichthe best preservedis in the Her-
mitage(Dn. 1863, 1/447,448). The Greek
artistwho decoratedthe gold platehas
dividedit into threeparts.At the chevron-
shapedapex,at rightanglesto the sheath
proper,he has placedtwo heraldicwinged
griffins;in the roughlytriangularextension
parallelto the mainscenea lion hasleaped
on a fallowdeer;behindthis groupa
smallerwingedgriffinslaysa deer.In the
mainfrieze,for whichthe artistusedthe
samematrixason the Chertomlykscabbard
in the Hermitage,a battlebetweenGreeks
andbarbarians ragesoverthe entirelength.
As the scabbardtaperstowardthe chapethe
figuresareadaptedto the diminishing
height.Thusthe warriorson the left are
completelyupright,those in the middle
becomesomewhatsmaller,andthe ones on
the rightareeitherkneelingor fallen.
Bibliography:G. M. A. Richter,in MMAStudies4
(1933), pp. 109-30. (For the Chertomlyksword and
scabbardsee most recentlyThe Metropolitan
Museumof Art catalogueFromtheLandsofthe
Scythians,1975, pp. 108-109, color pl. 10.)

53
 92-106. Hoard of silver vases and
utensils. Hellenistic, third century B.C.
Purchase,RogersFund,ClassicalPurchase
Fund,HarrisBrisbaneDick Fundand
Anonymous,Mrs.VincentAstor,Mr.and
Mrs.WalterBareiss,Mr.andMrs.Howard
J.Barnet,ChristosG. Bastis,Mr.andMrs.
MartinFried,JeromeLevyFoundation,
NorbertSchimmel,andMr.andMrs.
ThomasA. SpearsGifts, 1981-82.
(1981.11.15-22;1982.11.7-13)
This groupof fifteenobjects,presumably
found togethera generationago, represents
some of the finestHellenisticsilverknown
fromMagnaGraecia.Not enoughsilverof
the earlyHellenisticage hasbeen recovered
to be certainwhetherthe silverwasmadein
Tarantoor in easternSicily,but it canbe rea-
sonablyassumedthatthe objectsareof the
thirdcenturyB.C.,andwithinthatperiodof
the secondhalfratherthanearlier.Deco-
rativemotifs not only enjoya long life but
travelfreely,andparallelsfor some detailsof
shapeandornamentationoccuralso in the
East(especiallyPergamon)andin the South
(Alexandria). Weareon the roadtowarda
Hellenistickoine,whichfromthe second
centuryon renderslocalattributionsso
difficult.
54
92. Deep bowl, parcel gilt. Height 6.8 cm;
diameter (estimated) 21 cm; weight 479
grams. (1981.11.19)
The underside of the bowl bears a six-
petalled rosette done in repousse. The
inside has four concentric decorative bands.
Near the rim is a wreath of pointed leaves,
held together by four sleeves set at regular
intervals and twelve spiraling bands. Almost
directly below this, a narrow band of wave
patterns is followed by a pronounced ridge
topped by beading and, below that, a band
of fern leaves set in panels. The bottom of
the bowl is embellished with an emblema
worked in repousse and soldered to a cir-
cular frame with four sprockets that in turn
is soldered to the bowl. The floral pattern
on the emblema is particularlyrich: a garnet
is set in the center of a sixteen-petalled ro-
sette, from which spring four acanthus
leaves separated by four nymphaea nelumbo,
with eight other flowers, rendered less
symmetrically,in the background. There
is beading along the inner edge of the frame.
A notation in pointed Greek letters gives
the number 127 preceded by a symbol, per-
haps the weight.
For the floral motif of the emblema com-
pare, especially, the underside of the lid of
 the pyxis in the TarantoTreasure(Roth-
schild collection; P. Wuilleumier, Le Tresor
de Tarente,1930, pl. 2, 2).
93. Silver bowl, parcel gilt. Height 7 cm;
diameter (estimated) 22.8 cm; weight 407
grams. (1981.11.20)
The separatelyworked central emblema is
an elaborate rosette of different petals and
leaves arranged in three tiers. A slight hol-
low in the very center may have held a small
garnet. The petals on the two top tiers are
rounded; the leaves on the bottom, some-
what larger, alternate between acanthus and
pointed ones. The next decorative band is a
kymation of special shape, which is fol-
lowed by a somewhat broader zone of
swastika maeanders and saltire squares. The
maeander gives the effect of a third dimen-
sion, since one of its component angular
strips is not gilt and crosses or is crossed by
the gilt strip. As on the previous bowl, the
ornamentation below the rim is a wreath
held together by sleeves and spiral straps.
Below the wreath appear an egg-and-dart
pattern and, after a brief interval, a wave
pattern.
On the outside of the rim are remnants of
a numerical notation in Greek letters, no
doubt the weight.
This bowl held at one time, soldered to
the inside, the emblema with a Scylla
(no. 95).
94. Deep bowl, parcel gilt. Height 6.2 cm;
diameter 22 cm; weight 418 grams.
(1981.11.21)
This bowl, like nos. 92 and 93, has a central
leaf-rosette of three different layers. Here,
each layer is a hexafoil. A garnet is set in the
center. The decorative bands encircling the
inside of the bowl on three levels are some-
what simpler: on the inside of the rim an
egg-and-dart band is followed by a wave
pattern; farther down comes a pronounced
welt with beading in the middle and, lastly,
close to the tips of the floral rosette, a
guilloche. The layers of leaves are, on top,
nymphaea, next, plain leaves with a central
spine, and, on the bottom, acanthus.
This bowl bears two notations in pointed
Greek letters. On the outside of the rim the
number 25 is preceded by the same symbol
as written on no. 92, and on the opposite
wall is the ligature eta and rho.
95. Emblema,parcelgilt. Scyllahurlinga
rock.Height 2 cm;diameter,with frame,
10.5 cm;weight 81 grams.(1981.11.22)
Scylla,the seamonsterwho livedin a cavein
a cliffoff the Straitsof Messina,is shown
frontally,the humanpartsof herbody in
veryhigh relief.Both armsareraisedabove
herhead,as she is aboutto hurla largeboul-
der.Fromherhipsspringthreedogs. The
one in the centerhascaninepawsandeatsa
fish,the one on the left (withfinsfor feet)
devoursa sepia,whilethe dog on the right,
likewisefinned,is eyeinga dolphin.The
junctionof Scylla'shumanhalfandthe fore-
partsof the dogs is cleverlycamouflagedby
a finworn likea skirt.The lowerpartof her
body is formedby two long fishtails,and,
in addition,a wolf-headedseasnake,the so-
calledketos,encirclesher body.Grimand
ferociousthoughshe is, Scylladoes not
spurnjewelry,for she wearstwo gold
bracelets.
The repousseemblemamayhaveorig-
inallybeenthe lid of a pyxis.The underside
of the framein whichit restsis notched,
andtracesof soldershow thatit wasonce
attachedto the insideof bowl no. 93, thus
hidingits rosette.Perhapsthe vasefor
whichthe Scyllaservedas a coverwas
damagedbeyondrepairin antiquity,andthe
ownersalvagedthe beautifulrepousserelief
andaddedit to one of his valuablebowls.
55
 I -'
I

fd'.
>4
ra?if~~

,1!1J
96. Pitcher,parcelgilt. Height 9.1 cm;diameter8.13 cm;weight
178 grams.(1982.11.13)
The handleandfoot areworkedseparatelyandsolderedon. The
bodywasraisedfroma diskof sheetsilverand,likemost Hellenistic
silver,finishedon a lathe.The gildingis limitedto the kymationon
the shoulder,partof the handle,andpartsof the theatricalmask
below it.
Underthe foot is a weightnotation,"27"in pointedGreeklet-
ters,precededby a tau andan eta.
97. Hemisphericalbowl, parcelgilt. Height 7.7cm;diameter
13.85-14.44 cm (originallyca. 14 cm);weight 151grams.
(1981.11.16)
The gildingis limitedto the groovededge of the rim,a guilloche
borderedby beadingdirectlybelowthe rimon the outside,two sus-
pendedivy wreathswith berriestied with sashes(atoppositesides),
andthe outlinesof the geometricpatternof six pentagonsabutting
a centralhexagonthatcoversthe outsideof the bowl.Theseoutlines
areengravedandreinforcedwith rowsof dots at irregularintervals.
Bowlswith this patternareknownin terracottafromPergamon
andCorinthandin glassfromGordion.

98. Skyphos,parcelgilt. Heightto top of handles8.84 cm, to top of

rim7.71cm;diameter12.64-13.31 cm;diameterof foot 5.75 cm;
weight299 grams.(1981.11.17)
The handlesandthe foot areworkedseparatelyandsolderedon,
andthe undersideof the foot is coveredwith a profileddisk.Gild-
ing is limitedto the attachmentsof the decoratedhandlesandthe
wavepatternon the lowerparts.The slopingtop of the foot is deco-
ratedwith a kymation.
On the undersideof the foot aretwo inscriptionsin dottedGreek
letters:EPMAanddeltaandomega.

99. Kyathos.Length247 cm;diameterof bowl 5.5 cm;weight119

grams.(1981.11.15)
This ladleis one of the latestin the Museum'scollectionbutcontin-
ues in the traditionof the one fromPrusias(no. 72). The endof the
handleis in the shapeof a deer'shead.The inscribeddot letterson
both sidesof the top of the stemhaveso fardefiedtransliteration.

100. Phialemesomphalos,parcelgilt. Height 2.3 cm;diameter14.8

cm;weight104 grams.(1982.11.10)
Thissmallphialeis unusualin thatit is equippedwith threesaucer-
shapedfeet thatkeepit fromwobbling.The patternworkon the
insideis gilt: twelveelongatednarrowbossesradiatearoundthe
omphalos,connectedat theirtips by a circularbandof waves.
Withinthiswheelformedby the wavecirclethe surfacehasbeen
deliberatelyroughenedto insurebetteradhesionof the gold leaf.
Onlytracesof whatmayhavebeena weightnotationin pointed
lettersremainvisibleon the outsideunderthe incrustation.Forthe
conventionof placingthreesmallsupportsunderthe convexbot-
tom of a vasecomparethe Hellenisticterracottabowl in Bowdoin
Collegethathasthreecomicmasks.
101. Pyxis,parcelgilt. Height 5.5 cm;diameter8.34 cm;weight
148 grams.(1982.11.11A-C)
Likethe altar(no. 102),this pyxiswas"sacredto the gods,"aswe
learnfromthe Greekinscriptionin dottedletterson the edge of the
underside.It cannothavebeena powderbox or cosmeticcontainer
but mustratherhavebeenthe receptaclefor the incensethatwas
burnedon the altar.It consistsof threeparts:the pyxisproper,with
threefeet formedby the pawsof lions, an innercontainer,anda lid
in repousse.The subjectof the reliefis a goddessseatedon a rock,
holdinga hornof plentyfilledwith grapes,pomegranates, and
otherfruit;aninfantseatedon herlapholdson to the cornucopia.
The subjectmustbe DemeterandPloutos.Gildingis preservedon
the cornucopiaandits contents,on the himationof Demeterand
on hershoes,herhair,one earring,andherbracelet,aswellason
the hairof Ploutos.A Lesbiankymation,gilt, decoratesthe lower
moldingof the pyxis.
In the centerof the undersideis a numericalnotation:"nine"pre-
cededby the symbolthatlookslikea Romanthree.In the zone
aroundit, hastilytraced,is a wordnot unlikethe notation"fromthe
war"on the altar(no. 102).
A similarsilverpyxisin Basel(BS 607) containedcoinsof Hieron
II of Syracuse(274-216 B.c.).

57
102. Smallportablealtar,parcelgilt. Height
11.3cm; the rectangularbasemeasures10.6
by 10.83 cm. (1982.11.9A-E)
The altaris madeof differentpartsand
includesaccessories.A hollow cylinder
workedin the repoussetechniqueis sol-
deredto a castbase.Two insetsfit into the
openingon top: a shallowbasinequipped
with loops for two handlesanda somewhat
largerbasinwith anoverhangingrim.When
not in use, the two insetswerenestedinside
the altar,andit wascoveredwith the lid.
The outsideof the altarproperandthe
top of its lid areornamented.On the upper
moldinga narrowbandof lotus flowers
(alternatinglyuprightanddownward)is
followedby an egg-and-dartpattern;next
to it, separatedfromit by beading,comesa
row of starsandfivepointsarrangedlike
rosettes;below the starsandrosetteswe find
a band(not gilt) of verticallinesand,finally,
a triglyph-metopepatternbandin which
the triglyphsareleft silverwhilethe
metopesaregilt. At mid-levelof the altar
four bulls'skulls(bucrania)areshown
frontally,connectedwith one anotherby a
heavygarlandof vine leavesandother
foliage.At the bottom a plainbandof gold
is separatedfroma kymationby beading.
On the undersideof the baseseveral
Greekinscriptionscanbe read;some are
lightlyscratched,othersarefinished.The
latteraredone in dot letters:one reads
"sacredto the gods"andis followedby the
letterpianda symbolresemblinga Roman
three;the otherdot inscriptiongivesa
monogram composed of a delta and a mu.
The preliminary, lightlyscratchedinscrip-
tions read"sacredto the gods"and"sacred
to allthe gods."Addedacrossthe middle,in
anotherhandandin largerletters,is a nota-
tion "fromthe war."Lastly,we havea
numericalsevenprecededby the ligature
thatlooks likea Romanthree.
Forsuchminiaturealtars,I knowof only
one parallelin silver,of rectangularshape
with an inset anda lid. It wassold in
Lucerneat auction(ArsAntiqua3 [Apr.29,
1961],no. 132) andhasdisappearedfrom
view. It, too, is richly profiled and has
garlandssuspendedfrombucrania.

103,104. Pairof horns.Lengthof each15.5

cm;weight (1981.11.7):70 grams,
(1981.11.8):74.5 grams.
Eachhornwashammeredfroma silverstrip
androlledwith the edgesfoldedoverand
welded.The tips werecastseparatelyand
insertedinto the openingon top. The lower
openingis crimpedandthe flangeis per-
forated,indicatingthatthe hornswere
attachedto an objectmadeof anothermate-
rialby meansof studs.Perhapsthe horns
wereaddedto a bronzehelmetor one made
of leather.

58

105,106. Pair of buckets, parcel gilt. (1981.11.18): height 19.6 cm;
diameter 26.26 cm; weight 891.3 grams. (1982.11.12): height 18.5
cm; diameter 26.8 cm; weight 820.5 grams.
Each of the two parabolic bowls has three knobs in the shape of
theatricalmasks, which helped to balance it when it was filled with
wine and stood upright. In this position, however, the heads were
upside down: when not in use, the bowls sat on their rims, with the
three supporting masks right side up. Two of the masks are of a
young person (Dionysos?); the third is of a comic actor.
There is much gilding in the heads on the two silver bowls; in
addition, the larger one (no. 105) has a gilt guilloche directly below
the rim. No exact parallelsin silver are known, but a terracotta bowl
found at Butrinto in Albania is of comparable size. There the comic
mask is accompanied by one of a young satyr and another of an
old satyr.
The notion of putting some vases upside down when not in use
has affected the decoration of painted vases from as early as the
sixth century B.C.;the convention is common on Boeotian bird
bowls, both stemmed and flat bottomed, Boeotian lekanides, and
even some Attic cups. In Hellenistic times masks or cockleshells
105
often servedas supportsfor drinkingcupswithouta foot or base,
andit is not unlikelythatthe pottersacceptedthisconventionfrom
metalware;comparealsono. 100, the silver-giltphiale.
The Butrintobowl is publishedby L. M. Ugolini inAlbania
Antica3 (1942),p. 132, no. 6, andpl. 19; the earliestterracotta
bowlwith cockleshellsis one foundin the AthenianAgorathatwas
publishedanddiscussedby StellaMillerin Hesperia43 (1974),pp.
204-205, p. 234, no. 34, pl. 32; maskson reliefbowlsarediscussed
by W. ZuchnerinJahrbuch desDeutschenArchaologischen Instituts
65/66 (1950-51), pp. 194ff.Forthe Boeotianconventionof paint-
ing birdsin flightupsidedown see, e.g., CorpusVasorumAnti-
quorum(Heidelberg)1 (1954), pls. 23, 24; the earliestAttic
examplefor an upside-downfriezeis Boston03.784 (CorpusVas-
orumAntiquorum [Boston]2 [1978], p. 43, pl. 100,1-4). The
masksof the youngpersonresemblethe gold headsof the Thes-
salianhoardthatis partlyin Hamburg(Athenische Mitteilungen50
[1925], pp. 173-74, pl. 8, h; pl. 9, 5-6).
59
106

Detail of no. 105 Detail of no. 106

__ _
__am I_

60
107-109. The Bolsena Silver. Rogers
Fund, 1903.
An Etruscantomb discoverednearBolsena
(the ancientVolsinii),a smalltown about
twelvemilessouthwestof Orvieto,con-
tained,besidesa greatdealof obviously
Etruscaniron, bronze,andterracottavases
andutensilsanda gold ring,threesilver
objectsthatfor the longesttime werecon-
sideredEtruscanuntilDonaldE. Strong,in
1968, stressedtheirclosestylisticaffinities
with ApulianHellenisticsilverware.All
threeobjectsbear,in Etruscandottedlet-
ters,the legend"suthina"(whichis com-
monlyrenderedas "ofthe tomb"),a word
thatalsooccurs,writtenin the samestyle,
on manyof the bronzesfromthe same
find;it mustthereforebe assumedthat
thesepiecesof silverwereacquiredby an
Etruscanwho laterwas buriedwith them.
The dateshouldbe earlyin the thirdcen-
tury B.C.
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,
Toledo, 1977, pp. 54-57 (with earlierreferences).
109. Strigil.Length27.27 cm;weight82
grams.(03.24.7)
Strigils,or scrapers,aretoilet accessories
andwereusedchieflyby athletesto scrape
awaythe oil andsandon theirskin.Like
manyof the ladlesor spoons,strigilswere
madefroma stripof metal.The lower,
curvedpartwashammeredinto the tradi-
tionalshape,the returnof the handle,
whichsometimesterminatesin a leaf-
shapedfinial,waslikewisehammered,and
the finialwasthensolderedto the underside
of the curvedportion.
Etruscandottedlettersonce againmark
the strigilas"ofthe tomb"(suthina).There
arealsotwo monograms,DA andMV,sepa-
ratedby two verticaldots.

107. Amphoriskos(perfumevase),parcel
gilt. Hellenistic,thirdcenturyB.C.Height
15.4 cm, to rimonly,14.12cm; diameter
7.12cm;weight120.4 grams.(03.24.5)
The curvinghandlesarehammeredfrom
stripsof silverandattachedto the shoulder
andthe mouthof the vasewith solder.The
top of the mouthslopestowardthe narrow
opening;it wasworkedseparatelyandlaid
likea collaroverthe originalrimof the
neck.Exceptfor theseadjunctsthe vase
itselfis raisedin one piece.Fromthe base
springthreeengravedacanthusleavescov-
eredwith gilding,andsuspendedfromthe
shoulder,belowthe lowerattachmentof the
handles,aretwo necklacesterminatingin
ivy leaves.The gilt necklacesappearto be
tied to broadfilletswith tasselsthatare
crownedaboveby a floralwreath.
In additionto the word"suthina,"
punchedrathercrudelyon the shoulderof
one side,a monogramcomposedof the let-
tersD andMI separatedby two vertical
dots appearson the bottom.

108. Pyxiswith conicalcover,parcelgilt.

Height, with lid in place,8.4 cm, to top of
body 4.7 cm;diameterof base5.6 cm;
weight 54.9 grams.(03.24.6)
The body andthe lid with its slightover-
hangareraised;the lid is toppedby a cast
spindle-shapedfinial.The gilt ornamenta-
tion on the overhangof the lid is a Lesbian
kymationthatmirrorsthe one alongthe
moldingabovethe base.Halfwaybetween
thesetwo a banddecoratedwith anivy rin-
ceauencirclesthe body.On top of the lid
sevenpointedgilt leavesalternatewith
sevenleft plain,andbetweenthe pointsof
theselongerleavesarethe tips of fourteen
gilt acanthuses.
The inscription"suthina"appearsboth
on the lid andon the body.

61
110-114. The MolltefoLtio Hoard.
Rogers Fund, 1908.
Excavations carried out in a necropolis at
Montefortino (about thirty miles west of
Ancona in central Italy) uncovered, in
December 1895, the burial of a Gallic war-
rior. The tomb (number 33) contained not
only iron weapons, knives, and spits, an
iron strigil, a bronze cauldron with a swing-
ing iron handle, a bronze wine jug, a bronze
saucepan, two plain pointed terracotta
amphorae, and numerous terracotta plates
and cups but also, and this is exceptional for
the cemetery, a gold ring and five silver
vessels.
The silver from this tomb is obviously not
of local production but must have been an
"importation" from another part of Italy.
Since the cemetery is that of Gauls, who in
the early fourth century B.C. had begun to
invade central Italy and whose intermittent
raids extended as far as Apulia, the early
Hellenistic silver from Montefortino must
represent loot. The five silver vases can be
dated on stylistic grounds to the end of the
fourth century B.C.
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,
Toledo, 1977, pp. 62-66 (with earlierreferences).
62
110. Silver jug. Height 11.2 cm; diameter
7.53 cm; weight 242 grams. (08.258.51)
The handle is cast separately and attached
with solder to the mouth and the shoulder.
The underside of the foot is richly profiled.
111. Silver bowl with swinging handles.
Height 11.6 cm; diameter 17.27 cm; weight,
as preserved, 255 grams. (08.258.50)
This bowl is relatively thin-walled. The foot
was worked separatelyand the swinging
handles were hammered and slipped into
the tubelike projections that are attached
with solder on opposite sides of the rim.
The shape is rare, but similar silver bowls
or basins with swinging handles were found
in Macedonia (cf. H. G. Horn and C. B.
Riiger, Die Numidier,Bonn, 1979, pp. 295ff).
112,113. Pair of stemless silver cups. Both:
height to rim 3.3 cm; diameter 13.7 cm.
Width (08.258.52): 19.03 cm, (08.258.53):
18 cm; weight (08.258.52): 297 grams,
(08.258.53): 309 grams.
The cups, handles, and feet are cast sepa-
rately and soldered together. The cone
projections in the center were also made
separatelyand riveted to the bowl.
Each tondo is decorated with a complex
floral pattern; the cone in the center of no.
112 has, in addition, nineteen tongues on its
slope.
The scheme of decoration is known from
other silver cups, notably three in Berlin
and one in London. The conical projections
in the center may be derived from certain
Etruscan bronze phialai of the fourth cen-
tury B.C.
114. Silver kyathos. Length 20 cm; diameter
of bowl 5.43 cm; weight 91 grams. Rogers
Fund, 1908 (08.258.54)
The handle terminates above in the head
and neck of a duck or swan, with details of
the head and plumage chased. This ladle is
somewhat shorter than the others known of
this period. An owner's graffito on the in-
side of the bowl gives, in Greek letters, the
beginning of his name (lambda, upsilon,chi).
112

113

63
 w
r
iJ

I a

(rI

am

64
15-124. The "Svoli Hoard" of table
silve. RogersFund, 1920.
Two cups,a spoutedjug, a ladle,andsix 118. Spoutedpitcher.Height to top of rim
spoons arepartof a serviceof thirtypieces 6.7 cm; diameterof bowl 8.24 cm;weight
now dividedbetweenthe FieldMuseumof 149.4 grams.(20.49.4)
NaturalHistoryin Chicagoandthe Metro-
The foot andthe ringhandlearecastsepa-
politanMuseum.Thoughthe exactcircum-
stancesof the discoveryarenot known,the ratelyandattachedto the body of the
allegedprovenance,Tivoli,cannotbe dis- pitcherwith solder.The bowl wasraisedto
the desiredheightandthe long spoutwas
proved,nor need it be doubtedthatthe
hoardwas, indeed,foundtogether:tech- subsequentlyshapedby stretchingthe
metalthroughhammering.Thereareno
nique,style,andowner'smarksestablishthe
cohesionof the group.The date,as hasbeen inscriptions.
The shapeof this pitcher,with its long
convincinglyargued,is the lateRepublican
period,probablythe middleof the firstcen- troughlikespout,has beenassociatedwith
thatof a wine ladlewhichthe Roman
turyB.C.whenthe civilwarsin Romemay
haveforcedthe familythatowned the silver encyclopedistVarrocalleda trulla,but the
to buryit for safekeeping. identificationis not absolutelycertain.
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods, 119-122. Fourspoons.Lengthsvarying
Toledo, 1977, pp. 98-109; idem, inArcheologie54
(June1981), pp. 53-59. from14.66 to 15.36 cm;weightsvarying
from12.5 to 17 grams.(20.49.6-9)
115. Kyathos.Length17.5cm; diameter Thesefourspoons,likethe six fromthe
of bowl 4.86 cm;weight 51.6 grams. sameset in Chicago,aremadein one piece
(20.49.5) andhammeredratherthancast.The endsof
The ladleis of the traditionalform:the the handlesterminatein stylizedducks'
hook on top of the stemterminatesin the heads.A V-shapedgrooveon the underside
headof a duckwith eyes,ears,bill,and alongthe junctionof bowl andhandlesim-
plumageincised.Comparedto the earlier ulatesan attachmentby solderof two sepa-
EastGreeksilverladles,of whichthe rateparts.
Museumhaseight, it is considerablysmaller
andits bowl is muchdeeper.The dotted 123,124. Pairof cochlearia(snailspoons).
LatininscriptionestablishesSattia's (20.49.11):length12.35 cm;weight6.1
ownershipandthe weight (two ounces, grams.(20.49.12): length11.47cm;weight
threescruples).Here the discrepancy 5.9 grams
betweenactualandrecordedweightis a Cochleariawasthe Latintermfor spoons
merethreegrams.See alsonos. 116,117 used, as the namebetrays,for eatingsnails.
The pointedendsareadmirablysuitedfor
116,117. Pairofskyphoi. Both: heightto extractingthe snailfromthe shell.The Field
top of rim9.5 cm;diameter10.7cm. Width Museumin Chicagohassevenmoreof these
(20.49.2): 16 cm, (20.49.3): 16.24 cm; spoons.
weight (20.49.2): 467.2 grams,(20.49.3):
449.5 grams.
The bowls, handles,andfeet werecastsepa-
rately,andthe bowlswerefinishedon a
lathebeforethe handlesandfeet were
attachedwith solder.The ornamentationis
in the bestHellenistictradition:a kymation
on the outsideof the lip, a guillocheon the
shoulder,anda Lesbiankymationon the
foot. Eachcup hasconcentriccircleson the
undersideof the foot, a slightgrooveruns
allthe wayaroundthe insideof the rim,and
fartherdown a circleis lightlyincised.
Thatthe cupswereintendedas a pairis
provedby the Latindot-inscriptionon the
undersideof eachfoot thatstates,"[belong-
ing to] Sattia,daughter(or wife) of Lucius,
two [cups],two pounds,elevenounces,
sevenscruples."Comparedto the current
weightof the two cups,this representsa loss
of 45 grams,whichmayhavebeencaused
by corrosionandcleaning.

65
 -,' i - ='
--'
', VI?
I 'L

66
125, 126. The 1asimene Silver.
A Swisscollector,the industrialistArnoldRuesch,hadin his villa
in Zuricha groupof silverobjectssaidto havebeenfoundin the
tombof a womannearthe LagoTrasimeno(the siteof Hannibal's
victory over the Romans in 217 B.C.). Seven years after his death, in
1936, his extensivecollectionof antiquitieswassold at auctionin
Lucerne.Of the silverhoardthreelots-a pairof strigilson a
ring,a combinationcombandpin, anda strainer-were boughtby
WilliamRandolphHearst,while a fourthobject,a silverpitcher,
stayedbehindin Switzerland.Mr.Hearst'ssilverpurchasesat that
saleneverwentto SanSimeonbutweresoldoverthe counterat
Gimbelsin New Yorkin 1943. Therethe hoardwasfurtherreduced
anddispersed:HarrisDunscombeColt acquiredthe strigilson a
ringandJosephBrummerboughtthe combandthe strainer.When
Brummerdied in 1947,allmemoryof the Trasimenehoardhadvan-
ished.The combwasselectedby the MedievalDepartmentof the
Museumas one of manyobjectsboughtfromthe estate,in the
beliefthatit wasof the Migrationperiod,aboutfifthcenturyA.D.,
andthe silverstrainerwassold at auctionin New York(Parke
Bernet)on May11,1947,for $50 to the WaltersArtGallery.There
the matterwouldhaverested,but in April1961,I sawthe strigilsin
the collectionof HarrisDunscombeColt andthe ownergraciously
gavethemto the Museum.This pavedthe wayto havethe comb
fromthe samefindreclassifiedandtransferred fromthe Medievalto
the GreekandRomanDepartmentin 1964, so thattodayhalfthe
Trasimenefindis once againunited.
125. Pairofstrigils on a ring.Roman,mid-firstcenturyB.C.
Diameterof ring 7.525 cm;lengthof eachstrigil21.7cm;total
weight109.3 grams.Gift of H. DunscombeColt, 1961(61.88)
The strigilsareworkedfromsinglestripsof silver(asis the one
fromBolsena,no. 109), but differfromthe earlierones in thatthe
handleproperis angular.The carryingringis flaton top but angular
belowthe decorativemoldings.The catchon top is formedby two
slots;the catchproperis attachedin one slot and,whenpivoted,
fitssnuglyinto the other.The protrudingendof the catchis in the
shapeof a stylizedduck'shead.The closestparallelto this pairof
strigilson a ringis furnishedby the silverathleticequipmentof the
samedatein Berlinthatalso includesanoil bottlewith a suspension
chain(cf. U. Gehrig,inBerlinerMuseen 23 [1973], pp. 41ff).
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,Toledo, 1977, p. 112 (with earlier
references).

126. Combinationcombandpin. Roman,mid-firstcenturyB.C.

Length17.7cm;weight13.8 grams.FletcherFund,1947
(47.100.27)
The flatcombis set into a taperingoctagonalhandle,the junction
camouflagedby a rectangular ornamentalcuff.In the areabelowthe
teeth,the two sidesof the combcombinedillustratea lion hunt.A
smallAmorkneelson a rockto the left andlooksback;for protec-
tion he haswrappeda cloakaroundhis left armandhandin the
time-honoredtraditionof lion huntersthatcanbe tracedbackin
Greekartto the sixthcenturyB.C.In his righthandhe holdsa
weapon,perhapsa bow.To hisleft a houndin frontof a treeleaps
to the attack.On the othersideof the combtheirprey,a lion,
chargesto the left, againin frontof a tree.The contoursof the
figures,the rock,andthe treesareengraved,with lighterlines
for innermarkings,andthe backgroundis stippled.
A similarsilvercomb-and-pinwasfoundin a Romantombof
a womannearAnconatogetherwith a pairof bronzestrigilson
an iron ring,a smallsilverkantharos,two gold earrings,a gold
necklace,threegold rings,anda bronzemirror.Forthe stippled
backgroundof the huntingscene,aswell as the breedof hound,
comparethe decorativebandon a smallsilverpitcherin Berlin(U.
Gehrig, in BerlinerMuseen23 [1973], p. 44, fig. 12), from the same
hoard that also gives us the best parallelsfor the strigils.
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,Toledo, 1977, pp. 110-11.

67
 128. Silverhandleof a vaseor lamp.Saidto
havebeenfoundnearRome. Roman,per-
hapsfirstcenturyA.D. Height 4.5 cm;
weight26 grams.RogersFund,1910
(10.210.41)
The casthandlewasonce attachedto a small
cup (or perhapsa lamp),the bodyof which
is now missing.The forepartof a panther
emergesfroma flowerandbendsover,both
frontlegs extendedhorizontally.The lower
finialshowsthe frontalheadof a lion in
relief.
Forthe modelingof the panther'shead,
127. Silverplate.Roman,latefirstto early the finialof a silverkyathosfromAsia
secondcenturyA.D. Height 0.8 cm;diame- Minormaybe compared(Boston61.159;A.
ter 12.67 cm; weight 161grams.Rogers Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,Toledo,1977,
Fund, 1918 (18.145.37) p. 115).
The platewascastandfinishedon a lathe.
On the rim,in low relief,two femaleand
two maletheatricalmasksalternate:the
womenfaceleft, the men right.Behindeach
maskis a structureon whichcakesareset.
Besideeachmalemaskis a lagobolon(hunt-
ing stick)andnextto eachfemalemaskis a
thyrsos;the lagoboloiandthyrsoiareberib-
boned.Two of the four animalsbetween
the heads,a lionessanda hound,faceright;
the others,a wild goat anda wolf, arerun-
ning to the left.
On the undersideof the platea dotted
Latininscription,M. C. FLA,givesthe ini-
tialsof an owner.A lightlyscratchedcursive
inscriptionhas been interpretedby AlanK.
Bowman to read "Aria ... nidis." The geni-
tive endingsuggestssomethinglike"Aria,
daughter of ... ides." For the masks and
animalscomparea silvercup in Vienna
(VII A 12).
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,
Toledo, 1977, pp. 150-51.

68
129. Silvermirror.Saidto be fromEgypt.
Roman,firstcenturyA.D. Length,20.4 cm;
diameter12.11cm;weight 192 grams.
RogersFund,1907 (07.286.127)
The disk,the handle,andthe leaf-shaped letterA andthe weightof one-halfpound,
supportarecastseparatelyandjoinedwith one ounce,ten scruples(202.5 grams),
solder.The slightlyconvexside,whichwas whichcorrespondscloselyto its actualcur-
usedasthe mirroringsurface,is plain, rentweight.Lossof weightis normalowing
whereasthe slightlyconcavebackis deco- to corrosionandrepeatedcleaning.
ratedwith a kymationframedby beading Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,
alongthe rimandby concentriccircles.Also Toledo, 1977, p. 139, no. 92.
on the back,to the rightof the leafsupport,
is a Latininscription(readby AlanK.
Bowman)thatgivesthe owner'sname,
"Iris,"followedby a ligaturebasedon the

69
130. Silver handle of a large dish, parcel gilt.
Roman, second century A.D. Length 36.5
cm; weight 1438.5 grams. Rogers Fund,
1906 (06.1106)
The lower edge of the cast handle is
grooved to fit into the rim of a dish (now
lost), which probably had a diameter of 58.5
cm. There would have been another cres-
cent-shaped cast handle on the opposite side
that, on the analogy of the pair found in the
harbor ofBizerte (Tunisia), would have
been the same shape and size but not neces-
sarily identical in decoration.
This handle shows in relatively high relief
a lion hunt in a landscape. A lioness has
been cornered in her lair. One hunter, partly
shielded by an elevation in the ground and
keeping his balance by holding on to a
branch of the big tree in the center, attacks
from above; another, mounted and accom-
panied by a hound, attacks from the right. A
gazelle and a doe run away from the con-
frontation. Six animal heads, two of lions in
70
three-quarter view and four of goats and
eagles in profile, form part of the ornamen-
tal frame. The landscape, in addition to the
big tree in the center, also includes stylized
rocks, small plants lightly engraved on the
background, stumps of two other trees, and
the skull of a bull. The gilding is limited to
the leaves of the tree; the mantles of the
hunters; the saddle cloth; parts of the
rocky outcroppings; the mane, hooves, bri-
dle, and rein of the horse; the fur of the
lioness, the deer, and the hound; the horns
of the gazelle; parts of the heads of the lion,
the eagles, and the goats; the skull; and
three unidentified objects on the ground
(two diamond-shaped, the third oval).
Bibliography:A. Oliver,Jr.,SilverfortheGods,
Toledo, 1977, cover,pp. 152-53 (with earlier
references).
131. Silverhandleof a dish,originallygilt.
Saidto havebeenfoundin Iranbetween
HamadanandKirmanshah.Roman,early
thirdcenturyA.D.Length,aspreserved,
22.7 cm;weight672.7 grams.Rogers
Fund, 1954 (54.11.8)
The dishto whichthishandlewasonce
attachedwouldhavehada diameterof
about38.1 cm. The loweredge of the han-
dle is straight,not grooved,but tracesof
soldershowhow it wasattachedto the
bowl.The subject,the Indiantriumphof
Bacchus,is renderedin relativelyhigh relief,
whichnecessitateda castingtechnique
peculiarto some Romanvesselsof the third
century.Herethe highestpartsof eachfig-
urearecastseparatelyin purersilverandfit-
ted into bedsnow readilyvisiblein the areas
wherethe insertshavefallenout andbeen
lost; alsomissingis the wheelof the chariot
of Bacchus.His processionmovesfromleft
to right.Two lionessespullthe vehicle.The
god is accompaniedby Panandthreesatyrs
who carryelephanttusks,a syrinx,a plant
with threeblossoms,anda stick.The motif
of a triumphis furtherstressedin the pre-
dellaby the two trophiesconsistingof
helmet,cuirass,andshields;the helmets,
greaves,andsheathedswordsnearthe mid-
dle; andtwo pairsof captivesseatednextto
the trophies.In the centerof the lowerreg-
istera pairof cymbalsis arrangedsym-
metrically.Of the gilding,only traces
remainin some of the folds of Bacchus's
tunic,the headof his thyrsos,the harnessof
one lioness,andone of the elephanttusks.
The Indiantriumphof Bacchuswaspopular
on Romansarcophagi,whichhelpto date
this silverreliefin the earlythirdratherthan
the second century A.D.
Bibliography:C. Alexander,inMMABulletinn.s. 14
(1954-55), pp. 64-67; A. M. McCann,RomanSar-
cophagiin TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt, 1978, pp.
88-89, fig. 99.
Acknowlegments
The authorgratefullyacknowledgesthe support and help
he has receivedover the years from PierreAmandryand
AndrewOliver,Jr.,mostly on questions pertainingto the
East Greeksilver,and from Dr. MichaelPfrommeron the
problemsof Hellenistic chronology.Other, more specific
acknowledgmentsappearin the captions.Dr.JoanMertens,
Curatorand Administratorof Greekand RomanArt, ren-
deredinvaluableassistancein the planningandorganization
of thisBulletin.The Departmentof Conservation(underthe
supervisionof JamesFrantz and RichardStone) worked
long hourswith CarlieCleveland,ShinichiDoi, andHermes
Knauerto cleanand restorecarefullythe manyobjectsthat
had not been on publicview for decades.WalterYeeof the
Photo Studio took greatpainsto photograph,and in many
casesto rephotograph,the gold and silverhere illustrated.
JoanHolt andSuePottershowedmuchpatiencein handling
a long and somewhat unwieldy text and struggling with
deadlines.
The Department also wishes to single out for special
thanksthe manydonors,whosenames(exceptfor thosewho
wish to remainanonymous)appearin the creditlines.Their
unstintingsupport,especiallyfor purchasesproposedin the
last eighteen years, is largely responsiblefor the present
strengthof the collection.

Bibliography:The bestgeneralaccountof GreekandRoman

gold andsilveris the lateD. E. Strong'shandbook,Greekand
RomanGoldandSilverPlate(1966).The exhibitioncatalogue
Silverfor the Gods(1977) by AndrewOliver,Jr., and Kurt
Lucknerbrings the story up to date and goes more deeply
into manyaspects.The entrieson the 119objectsshown in
Toledo,KansasCity,andFortWorth,fromOctober1977 to
April1978, arefullydocumented,andthe generalintroduc-
tion gives an excellentsurvey.

72
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