A Beak-spouted Ewer

Bronze
Amlash, ca. 1250-1200 BC
H. 16cm; L. 29cm; Ø: 15,5cm

A striking bronze ewer, with a most unusual history. The profile is most elegant in proportion, with long spout, round body and a vertical handle in the form of a caprid perched upon the rim. An ornamental engraving at the base of the spout dates to the Seljuk Period, over 2000 years after the vessel’s manufacture, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the post-antique reuse of this artifact.

Condition: Mended recently at casting chanel and at other locations in antiquity, but complete. Attractive green and cuprite patina.

Provenance: From the estate of a notable scholar of prehistory in Berlin. Thereafter with Kunst & Kuriosa Auktionen, Heidelberg.

Item reference: NE1318