A Hellenistic terracotta phiale (bowl) featuring a broad, shallow form with a flat base and a central medallion adorned with low relief floral decoration and concentric circles. In the centre of this design is a raised boss referred to as the omphalos, representing the "navel" or centre of the world in ancient Greek belief. The protruding boss also allowed for convenient handling. There are two perforations near the rim of the bowl and the surface is covered with earthly encrustation. Covering a period of over two thousand years, from the Minoan era (from around or even before 3000 BC) up until the end of the Hellenistic period (31 BC), Greek pottery is often thought to have reached its apex in the fifth and sixth centuries BC. They were found in many forms, styles and uses, ranging from those used for daily life to those used for funerary practices. Measurements: Circa H 3cm x W 23.2 cm Provenance: Ex Property of a North London gentleman; formerly in a European Collection, France, bought in Paris in the 1990s.