Assyrian Lion Libation Bowl

Culture: Assyrian

Period: 8th century B.C.

Material: Steatite

Dimensions: 17.5 cm long

Price: 8 000 Euro

Ref: 6380

Provenance: From an English private collection. Thence Bonhams London 7 October 1997, lot 258. Last in a New York collection.

Condition: A small piece of the opening reattached, otherwise intact and of wonderful quality.

Description: Steatite libation bowl with a lion head on the rim. The lion head with a round opening in the mouth, where the libation ran into the bowl. The animal’s eyes are deeply pierced and once had inlays of a gemstone. The lion’s fur finely cut into the stone in several layers, also around the mouth fur engravings. The lion’s body turns at the back into a narrowing opening which was once connected to a large vessel. The libation was extracted from there and collected in the lion cup. The bottom of the bowl with two concentric circles. Libation cups such as the present one were made in the Neo-Assyrian great empire, especially in northern Syria. See for the type Muscarella (Editor) “Ladders to Heaven, Art Treasures from Lands of the Bible”, number 235. Mounted.