Lot 0045

Greek Hellenistic Silver Mastoid Vessel, ex Christie's

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Greek Hellenistic Silver Mastoid Vessel, ex Christie's

Item Details

Description

Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. late 2nd to 1st century BCE. A stunning bowl of a substantial size in the form of a mastos or mastoid, a drinking vessel shaped like a breast, shaped from near-pure (99%) silver. The vessel is conical in form with a rounded base, gradually expanding walls with a thin rim, a deep basin, and a band of raised bead-form molding in repousse around the interior lip. During the Hellenistic period, wealthy Greeks used silver as a marker of wealth more commonly than they had in the past. During the 5th century, a new silver source was discovered in the Laurium Hills in Attica, which was mined extensively soon thereafter. The profits from the mines enriched several Athenian families and created a greater pool of silver with which artisans could produce fine goods like this cup. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 5.75" W x 3.5" H (14.6 cm x 8.9 cm); quality of silver: 99%; total weight: 318.6 grams.

The mastos form seems to be deliberately breast-shaped, based on archaeological findings suggesting ritual functions for these cups. Mastoid cups and ceramic votive representations of breasts have been found at sanctuaries to Diana and Hercules - two figures in classical religion associated with birth, nursing, and rearing children. Fascinatingly, some of these even have dedications made by wet nurses. Some scholars theorize that the drinking of breast milk from a vessel like this one by an elderly or deathly ill adult symbolized rebirth in the afterlife.

For a similar example with intricate motifs in repousse, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 22.50.2

Provenance: East Coast, USA collection; ex-Christie's, New York "Antiquities" auction (sale 3748, June 4, 2015, lot 44)

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#146161

Condition

Minor abrasions to exterior and interior surfaces, with light indentations, and softening to some repousse motifs, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits within some recessed areas, and fine patina throughout.

Buyer's Premium

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Greek Hellenistic Silver Mastoid Vessel, ex Christie's

Name: Greek Hellenistic Silver Mastoid Vessel, ex Christie's
SKU: 104494356
Price: 4250 USD
Availability: InStock

Estimate $7,000 - $10,000

See Sold Price

Starting Price $3,500

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