Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 500 to 330 BCE. A rare near-pure copper (98%) libation bowl - most are bronze. The lower part of the bowl is scalloped/fluted, above which is a corseted neck that flares outward into a wide, smooth mouth with an unpronounced rim. Libation bowls, known as phiale, were used across a wide geographical area - from Greece to Tibet, throughout the ancient Near East and Central Asia. These shallow bowls for holding wine in ritual and ceremonial settings were made from many materials - glass, ceramic, and many kinds of metal. They functioned both as tableware and as wealth - they could be stored in the royal treasury or given as gifts to people they were hoping to influence. Fluted bowls like this one seem to have been inspired by the Assyrian period. Bowls like this one are remarkably similar across the Achaemenid Empire, reflecting a central iconography and artistic style; they were used by the elite across the Empire to signify their membership in a rarified club of powerful people. Size: 7.9" W x 4.45" H (20.1 cm x 11.3 cm) Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #135639