Kotyle with Mythical Figures

  • Bactria
  • ca. 4th - 2nd century B.C.
  • Gold plated silver
  • H-13.2 D-15.5
Catalogue Entry

ca. 4th‐2nd century B.C.
Gold plated silver
H. 13.2 cm, Dia. 15.5 cm
The basic form of this vessel is a semi-circular torso with simple edges. This vessel form resembles the skyphos vessel of Greece, but is lacking the circular foot or handle. The outer surface of this vessel shows a scene which features various people. The base of the vessel is plated in gold and is decorated with an incised, eight-petal rosette.
The long-haired figure (a) seen on the side of the vessel is wearing a short, knee-length tunic and holds a torch in her right hand while her left arm is draped in a garment. She wears short boots. The bared right chest protrudes, and thus we can tell that the figure is female. She has attendant of a dog to the right, a woman naked in her torso, is seated and facing to the right, and grasps a small winged human (b). Figure c is thought to represent a bearded figure of Dionysus, seated on a lion skin and accompanied by a thyrsus. Figure (d) is to the right of c shows a seated female figure wearing a long chiton and with a child standing in front of her. Figure (e) is to the right of (d) and is a standing figure of a man facing forward, draped in a lion's skin, with the forelegs tied in a Hercules knot. Both of the figures arms hang down and are spread outward. Figure (f) is to the right of (e) and is a woman holding drapery in both extended arms, and she is nude to the thighs. She leans against the boulder behind her and she wears boots on her feat. Figure (g) is to the right of (f), and is a male figure lightly seated on a lion skin spread on the rock and is seen playing a pan flute. This vessel shows the eight-petalled rosette decorating the center of the base, surrounded by three bucranium (ox heads) which alternate with three shell designs. These images are hard to interpret, but the hints of a bucranium sacrifice make it highly likely that this vessel would have been used in a ritual setting.

Vessels

The "vessels" division is represented by a relatively large number of objects.There are 22 items of gold (cat. Nos. 123-144) and 26 of silver (cat. Nos. 97-122). Among the silver vessels, there are 6 goblets (cat. Nos. 103-106, 108, 109) tall libation vessels Achaemenid in form, but decorated in a style which is typically Hellenistic. Similar cups are held by the magi represented on the relief sculptures and votive plaques. Three rhyta made for a similar purpose are unfortunately in a fragmentary condition (cat. Nos. 118, 119, 122). In addition there are 8 shallow bowls (cat. Nos. 97-99, 101, 102, 111-113) for ritual libations. The gold vessels were used for the same purpose; there are 18 libation bowls, of simple form, most of which have a rounded base and everted rim (cat. Nos. 123-140). One tall vessel of a pyxis type with a lid (cat. No. 142) appears to be the earliest of the vessels in the collection. Of special interest is an incense burner in the form of a censer with four rings for suspension (cat. No. 141).
Although the number of vessels in this collection is considerably larger than those of the Oxus Treasure in the British Museum, they probably served the same function. The vessels of both collections are closely paralleled by the vessels held by worshippers depicted on the Persepolis reliefs. This observation makes it possible to date them. It is worth adding here that the manufacture of goblets of similar shape and of rhyta in the Persepolitan style is depicted on a relief in a pronaos on the northern wall of the tomb of Petosiris at Hermopolis Magna in Egypt. According to Muscarella, the reliefs attest the manufacture of embossed articles in Egypt right up until 300 BC.

Rhyton with a Stag Censer Shallow Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Shallow Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Phiale with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Phiale Fragment of a Shallow Bowl Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Lotus and PalmettePattern Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Bowl with a Human Heads Decoration Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Shallow Bowl with a Leaf Plate with Ketos Bowl Situla with a Lion's Head Rhyton with a horse protome Horse (Fragment of a rhyton) Winged Human-headed Bull(Fragment of a rhyton) Decoration of a Ladle Disk-like Round Mirror Lion Griffin (Fragment of a Rhyton) Shallow Bowl with a Rosette Pattern Sallow Bowl Sallow Bowl Bowl Sallow Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl Bowl with Lid