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Fluted bowl

ca. 6th–5th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 202
In the sixth century B.C., under the leadership of Cyrus the Great (r. 538–530 B.C.), the Achaemenid Persian dynasty overthrew Median kings and established an empire that would eventually extend from eastern Europe and Egypt to India. Achaemenid rulers included such famed kings as Cyrus, Darius I (r. 521–486 B.C.), and Xerxes I (r. 485–465 B.C.). They built palaces and ceremonial centers at Pasargadae, Persepolis, Susa, and Babylon. The Achaemenid Dynasty lasted for two centuries and was ended by the sweeping conquests of Alexander the Great, who destroyed Persepolis in 331 B.C. The Achaemenid period is well documented by the descriptions of Greek and Old Testament writers as well as by abundant archaeological remains.

Fluted bowls and plates of the Achaemenid period continue a tradition begun in the Assyrian Empire. While they were given as royal gifts, it seems that they were also valued and exchanged simply for the weight of the precious metals from which they were made.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Fluted bowl
  • Period: Achaemenid
  • Date: ca. 6th–5th century BCE
  • Geography: Iran
  • Culture: Achaemenid
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: 4 3/8 × 7 1/4 × 3 5/8 in. (11.1 × 18.4 × 9.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1954
  • Object Number: 54.3.1
  • Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

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7078. Fluted bowl

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