PHIALE Thracian art, Odrysean civilization,... Lot 8

PHIALE Thracian art, Odrysean civilization, 4th century BC Silver worked in repoussé and chased Diam_ 15 cm Provenance Former private collection of Mr. J.M.M former Spanish diplomat, Madrid, 1990's Former private Spanish collection of Mr. C., Madrid Private collection from the South of France of Mr. V., acquired at the Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo in 2017 A THRACIAN SILVER CUP WITH BULL AND MALE HEADS, ODRYSEAN CIVILIZATION, 4TH CENTURY B.C. 5,9 in. Diameter. The decoration is developed on the flat bottom, around the omphalos. There are 3 bull heads separated by 3 juvenile male heads. Each head is seen from the front, the coat as well as the hair are marked by fine incisions. Both the omphalos and the edge of the phiale are decorated with friezes of ovals.This form of libation cup, without a foot or handle, with slightly accentuated edges and the bulging of the central omphalos, is greek. But it had great success in the barbarian world where it had a religious function. These phiales in gold or silver, were perhaps also among the Scythians and Thracians a symbol of power. The silver has been embossed and the modeling of the heads is hollow- stamped on the outside. The details of the coats, hair and eyes are stamped. The regularity in the arrangement and treatment of the figures indicates that the artist used a matrix. Phiales are among the most common items of dishes found in Thracian excavation sites. Before the discovery of Rogozen Treasure in the Danube plain, 50 mesomphalos phiales were discovered.The discovery of the Rogozen Treasure increased the number to 108 and allowed a more precise categorization and dating of these objects to the 4th century B.C. The productions of this type of phiales appear in series and seem to repeat particular patterns and shapes. The workshops were not specialized only in the production of phiales and produced jars, rhytons, skyphoi and a large number of decorative objects around the same anthropo-zoomorphic theme, the animal being like man, his double. and its substitute, imagined and conceived as a vertical model of the three-dimensional structure of the celestial, terrestrial and underground world. The decoration develops on the flat background, around the omphalos. There are three bull's heads separated by three juvenile male heads. Each head is presented from the front, the coat and hair are marked by fine incisions. The omphalos and the edge of the phiale are decorated with friezes of ovals. This form of libation cup, without foot or handle, with its slightly accentuated edges and the bulge of the central omphalos, is of Greek type. But it was also very popular in the barbarian world where it had a religious function. These golden or silver phials were perhaps a symbol of power for the Scythians and Thracians. The silver has been worked with repoussé and the heads have been printed on the outside of the vase. The details of the hair, fur and eyes and eyes are stamped. The regularity of the arrangement and treatment of the figures indicates that the artist used a matrix. The phials are among the most common items of crockery found in Thracian excavations. Before the discovery of the Rogozen Treasure in the Danube plain, 50 mesomphalos phials were found. The discovery of the Rogozen Treasure increased the number to 108 and allowed a more precise categorization and dating of these objects to the 4th century BCE. The productions of this type of phials appear in series and seem to repeat particular patterns and shapes. The workshops were not only specialized in the production of phials and produced jars, rhytons, skyphoi and an important number of decorative objects around the same anthropo-zoomorphic theme, the animal being like man, his double and his substitute, imagined and conceived as a vertical model of the three-dimensional structure of the celestial, terrestrial and subterranean world.