Lot 979
Bronze bowl with a frieze of aquatic animals on the outer wall, Early Byzantine, 6th – 7th centuries.
Works of Art, Antiquities & Ancient Art | A109kua | Live auction | 1190 Lots
Description
Spherical, thick-walled bronze bowl with an approx. 1 cm high stand ring, the wall of which curves slightly outwards, on the centre of the bottom, with a centring hole in the middle. On the inside of the bowl likewise a centring hole as well as concentric turning grooves, testifying to the reworking of the inside of the cast blank on the spinning lathe. The border of the guard drawn inwards only on the outside. Between the stand ring and the border, a continuous frieze of animals in high relief. Mainly fish and other marine creatures, but also amphibians and waterbirds. The technical characteristics identify the piece clearly as a late antique guard, a member of the early Byzantine period, which, like many other early Byzantine works of art, takes up and once again celebrates motifs from classical antiquity or the high imperial time. Minimal impact marks and corrosion, minor casting flaws on the inside of the bowl, otherwise intact. On the border of the inside a label with the previous owner's collection number. Diameter: 11.7 cm. Height 4.7 cm. A remarkably charming testament to the continuity of antique imagery in the decorative arts of early Byzantine time. CULTURAL ASSET!Provenance: Acquired by the current owner from Gorny & Mosch, Auction 287 in July 2022, Lot 821; previously in the private Bavarian collection of H. V., acquired between 1974 and 2010.
Condition: II - III Questions about the lot?
