Object Details
Label
Vessels made entirely or in part in the shape of an animal, in both metal and ceramic versions, have a long history in ancient Iran. Only a few examples of this vessel type, however, have surfaced among artifacts of the Sasanian period (ca. 224-651). Chiefly influenced by Roman and Byzantine prototypes and to some extent by Central Asian styles, Sasanian silver plate seldom drew on traditional Iranian vessel forms. Horned animals, such as the ram and this gazelle, appear as quarry on some of the Sasanian silver and gilt plates depicting a royal hunt. With its animal-shaped protome (forepart) joined to a compact horn and furnished with a spout through the animal's mouth, this is an extremely rare example dating from the Sasanian period. This type of vessel embodies an important image and concept: a special liquid, probably wine, was contained in and dispensed from the mouth of an animal that itself held powerful, royal connotations.
Provenance
By 1966
Farhadi and Anavian Collection, New York, New York by October 1966 [1]
By 1967
R. & D. Anavian, Tehran, Iran and New York, New York by May 1967 [2]
From 1967 to 1987
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York, purchased on May 2, 1967 likely in Tehran, Iran [3]
From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York [4]
Notes:
[1] At the time of the publication of Dorothy Shepherd’s article on the rhyton, the piece was in the collection of Farhadi and Anavian, New York. See Dorothy Shepherd, “Two Silver Rhyta,” Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, 53 (1966), 300 fig. 11. See also object file.
[2] See invoice dated May 2, 1967, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.
[3] See note 2.
[4] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Exhibition History
Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World (April 6, 2022 to August 8, 2022)
Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with the Gods, Heroes and Kings (September 7, 2018 to January 6, 2019)
Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran (February 4, 2012 - ongoing)
Glass, Gilding, and Grand Design: Art of Sasanian Iran (224-642) (February 14 to May 20, 2007)
Les Perses sassanides (224-642): Fastes d'un empire oublie (September 15 to December 30, 2006)
Le Perses Sassanides ou les Fastes d'un empire oublie (The Persian Sasanians, Luxury Goods from a Forgotten Empire)" (September 15, 2006 to May 20, 2007)
Antioch: The Lost Roman City (October 7, 2000 to December 30, 2001)
Weihrauch und Seide: Geld und Lexus aus dem Antiken Orient (January 21, 1996 to April 14, 1996)
Incense and Silk: Ancient Cultures Along the Silk Road (January 22 to April 14, 1996)
Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires (May 9, 1993 to January 28, 2007)
Nomads and Nobility: Art from the Ancient Near East (September 28, 1987 to November 1, 1992)
Treasures from the Smithsonian Institution at the Royal Scottish Museum (August 11, 1984 to November 5, 1984)
The Royal Hunter: Art of the Sasanian Empire (Winter 1978)
Previous custodian or owner
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)
R. & D. Anavian
Farhadi and Anavian Co. (active early 1960s-1973)
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Date
4th century
Period
Sasanian period
Accession Number
S1987.33
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Vessel
Medium
Silver and gilt
Dimensions
H x W x D: 15.5 x 25.4 x 14.1 cm (6 1/8 x 10 x 5 9/16 in)
Origin
Iran or Afghanistan
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
gilding
chasing
repoussé
metal
silver
lion
bull
gazelle
Sasanian period (ca. 224 - 651)
Afghanistan
Iran
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_S1987.33