Ancient Roman Bronze ボウル (No reserve price)

ITEM: Bowl
MATERIAL: Bronze
CULTURE: Roman
PERIOD: 2nd - 3rd Century A.D
DIMENSIONS: 27 mm x 128 mm diameter
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex American private collection, acquired between 1970 - 2000

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export license.

Roman bronze vessels occupied a vital place in both the domestic and public spheres of classical antiquity, serving as prized household utensils, status symbols, and ceremonial instruments. Crafted across a wide range of forms—including oinochoai (pitchers), paterae (libation dishes), situlae (buckets), and scyphi (drinking cups)—these metal containers were far more durable and costly than common terracotta. While fine ceramic tableware was ubiquitous among ordinary citizens, bronze vessels adorned the dining tables of wealthy patricians, featured prominently in lavish banquets (convivia), and were utilized in public bathhouses for storing scented bath oils and cleansers.

The manufacture of Roman bronze vessels combined metallurgical precision with sophisticated artistic embellishment. Artisans employed techniques such as lost-wax casting for intricate components like handles, spouts, and feet, while body walls were often hammered from sheet bronze (repoussé) or turned on a lathe to achieve uniform thickness. Handles were frequently sculpted into elaborate figural forms, depicting mythological figures like Dionysus, satyrs, or panthers, and attached to the vessel body with leaf- or siren-shaped escutcheons. High-end pieces were frequently embellished with silver, gold, or copper inlays, creating striking chromatic contrasts against the polished golden hue of the raw bronze alloy.

Beyond their utilitarian role in daily life, bronze vessels played a crucial role in Roman religious rituals and funerary traditions. Shallow paterae and pitchers were indispensable tools for priests performing sacrifices, used to pour wine or oil libations over altar fires to honor the gods. In burial contexts, rich assemblages of bronze tableware were interred alongside elite individuals to ensure their social standing persisted into the afterlife. Today, preserved in archaeological contexts ranging from the volcanic ash of Pompeii to military encampments along the Rhine, Roman bronze vessels offer invaluable evidence of ancient trade networks, metallurgical technology, and domestic luxury.