Gold amphoriskos (oil flask) with inlaid garnets

Unknown

3rd century BCE · Gold and garnet · Greek and Roman Art

Circle of twisted wire soldered onto top of mouth above everted rim; cylindrical neck; sloping rounded shoulder; conical body with pointed bottom. Two handles, made from two separate sheets of folded metal, square in section, joined at a right angle; lower section attached to shoulder and rising vertically; upper section attached horizontally to neck; ends of handles encircled by beaded wire; on neck two inverted tear-shaped red garnet stones set in plain bezels encircled with beaded wire; at base of neck, two rows of twisted wire; on shoulder below handles, to small round garnet stones, also in a plain setting encircled with beaded wire; below these settings at the top of the conical body are two more rows of twisted wire but smaller than those at the base of the neck; near top of body is a row of beaten out bosses in an irregular line; the top of the pointed bottom is concealed beneath a cluster of sixteen granules with a central stud at the apex.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd century BCE

Medium

Gold and garnet

Culture

Greek

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Kellen, 1999