V. Vessels

The study of a substantial quantity of bronze vessel fragments from the Athenian acropolis provides an opportunity to better define the characteristics, the chronology, and the diffusion of the Athenian bronze vessel production from the late sixth to the mid-fifth century BC.

The recent systematic study of the bronze vessels and the related instrumenta retrieved from the sanctuary of Delphi dating from the sixth century BC to Roman times, which is still in progress, offers a fresh look at this extraordinary evidence. Mostly unpublished and never considered in a wide perspective, this corpus of material provides a picture of the presence and circulation of bronze objects in the panhellenic sanctuary, which now can be compared with evidence from other sacred contexts. A general picture of the items attested has now been formed, and aspects related to morphology, style, production, and chronology of bronze vessels and instrumenta can be taken into account. The occurrence and reiteration of specific objects allows us to understand offering choices and the ritual practices performed in the sacred area. Remarks about the provenance of some bronzes contribute to our knowledge of who attended the sanctuary and how objects circulated.

Evidence is presented suggesting that large bronze vessels with figural registers in relief, such as the Derveni krater, were extremely rare in Classical times. The most significant reason for this may not have been technical, since large pieces of armor were decorated using precisely the same techniques at the same time. Rather, this rarity may reflect the high cost of labor-intensive work.

Our research focuses on the evolution of marine iconography in the Late Hellenistic period, as seen on bronze and silver vessels found along the Gulf of Naples. Representations of Triton, Scylla, and Medusa appear at times next to hippocampi, dogs, snakes, dolphins, and octopuses in high or low relief on the handles of various tableware. Compared to their canonical depictions, the deities here have lost their conventional attributes, which have become interchangeable. As part of Early Imperial propaganda, they acquire a new symbolic function, which differs from their original mythological meanings. The deities become ambiguous, more like generalized people with standardized marine features plus mixed or borrowed attributes. Good examples of this type of amalgamation are the Medusa with mussel and shell ears or the Scylla with seaweed on her face, both of which are attributes borrowed from Triton. Another important aspect is the quality of workmanship, which declined due to mass production and competition from cheaper imported vessels.

An anthropomorphic vessel depicting a young man wearing a nebris (fawn skin) is on display at the National Museum of Beirut (inv. 25422). The man also wears a torque adorned with a crescent pendant, a type of jewelry commonly found in Egyptian painted portraits of the Roman period. The large bead molding at the bottom of the vessel may also indicate that Egypt, and particularly Alexandria, was the place of manufacture. However, the hair and eye treatment suggest that it may have been cast in a Lebanese workshop.

This paper, facilitated by the discovery of two large hoards of metal vessels, examines Fatimid metalware. The first hoard was found at Caesarea and included 136 metal articles, most of which were intact. The cache from Tiberias was found within a dwelling area and comprised 660 items hidden within three large pithoi. These discoveries enabled the study of a metal group previously little known. The paper traces the development of four groups of vessels through the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods up to the Fatimid era (AD 969–1171). The study included lampstands, saucepans (which possibly served as measuring vessels based upon Islamic religious tradition), two types of braziers, and a group of feet and handles. The last group of minor articles underwent a fundamental morphological change into schematized shapes, exemplifying the consolidation of Islamic material culture.