Bowl with Leaf Calyx Medallion

The elaborate floral decoration of this Parthian silver bowl reflects the political turmoil of the area of Iran where it was made. An elaborate leaf calyx design--eight long, pointed leaves placed over four ivy leaves--adorns the central medallion on the interior. Just below the lip, a frieze of stepped battlements and tiny leaves encircles the cup's interior.

Until Alexander the Great conquered it, Iran was part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. After Alexander's death in 323 B.C., the Hellenistic Greek Seleucid dynasty, whose kingdom stretched from Turkey to Afghanistan, ruled the area. In the later 200s B.C., the Parthians, a group of semi-nomadic people from the steppes of south central Asia, began challenging the weakened Seleucid regime. By the mid-100s B.C., the Parthians had firm control of this area of Iran.

Throughout these political changes, artists retained stylistic traits of earlier regimes. Although made in a time of established Parthian control, this bowl incorporates elements of Achaemenid Persian and Hellenistic Greek art in its decoration. The leaf calyx was one of the most popular motifs in Hellenistic metalwork, and the stepped battlement pattern was a common motif in Achaemenid art.