Rhyton terminating in the forepart of a wild cat
Item
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Title
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Rhyton terminating in the forepart of a wild cat
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Description
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Elaborate bowls, animal-headed drinking vessels, and rhytons—vessels which have a hole at the front from which liquid flows—were highly valued in ancient Near Eastern society. During the pre-Achaemenid, Achaemenid, and Parthian periods, examples made of silver, gold, and clay were used throughout a vast area extending both to the east and west of Iran. The animals on these vessels included the ram, horse, bull, ibex, supernatural creatures, and female divinities; some were engraved with royal inscriptions. Rhytons made of precious materials were probably luxury wares used at royal courts. Both the rhyton and the animal-headed vessel were adopted by the Greek world as exotic and prestigious Oriental products.
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Date Created
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earliest: 100 BCE
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latest: 1 BCE
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Date
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1979
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Provenance
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Acquired by the Museum in 1979, purchased from Manouchehr Malekzadehmokri, Isak Antiques, New York.
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Identifier
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1979.447a, b
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Medium
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Silver
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Mercury gilding
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Format
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11 3/16 × 5 3/16 × 11 7/8 in. (28.4 × 13.1 × 30.2 cm)
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Publisher
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Source
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Purchase, Rogers Fund; Enid A. Haupt, Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager, Mrs. Muriel Palitz and Geert C. E. Prins Gifts; Pauline V. Fullerton Bequest; and Bequests of Mary Cushing Fosburgh, Edward C. Moore and Stephen Whitney Phoenix, by exchange, 1979
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Rights
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https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/policies-and-documents/open-access
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Contributor
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Purchase, Rogers Fund; Enid A. Haupt, Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager, Mrs. Muriel Palitz and Geert C. E. Prins Gifts; Pauline V. Fullerton Bequest; and Bequests of Mary Cushing Fosburgh, Edward C. Moore and Stephen Whitney Phoenix, by exchange, 1979
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