A finely cast and hammered Neo-Assyrian bronze bowl featuring a hemispherical container with a slightly flattened base. Its slightly convex walls slant upwards, leading to a flat rim. An encircling incised band decorates the interior of the bowl just below the rim. Earthly encrustations and patination as well as minor scratches to the surface. In the Iron Age Mediterranean, handles and footless bronze bowls featuring hemispherical containers and curved profiles were richly ornamented with Greek and Etruscan motifs. However, bronze bowls of this kind originated in the ancient Near East during the Iron Age. Differing from the Greek and Etruscan parallels that were normally used for religious occasions, ancient Near Eastern bronze bowls were used by the elite as a daily luxurious object. Measurements: H 4.8cm X W 14.8cm Provenance: Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.