Simpulum, for drawing wine or oil from a deep storage container. Roman Empire, 1st - 3d century AD. Bronze. Height 26 cm or large. PROVENANCE: Private collection, Paris, , formed between 1970 and 1990. CONDITION: Intact, see photos. DESCRIPTION: The ladle - a simpulum or simpuvium - was used to make libations and to taste wines and liquors that were poured on the heads of sacrificial victims. It was also more generally just a utensil, shown in banqueting scenes on Greek and Italian vases aiding in the distribution of wine into cups. The hooked end of the handle is shown in a scene from an Etruscan tomb being held by a slave and used to hang the utensil from the side of a large wine vessel. The style of this example - with the round bowl and the handle ending in the head of an animal, especially a duck - was a very long-lasting tradition, extending from the Greeks and Etruscans to the Romans. Notes: The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License. The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.