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Objecttableware: Bowl
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Type of arts & crafts
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MediumGilt silver
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SizeH. 1 1/4 in. (3.1 cm) diameter 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm)
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Geography details
Cyprus -
Country today
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Dateca. 725-675 B.C.
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CultureCypriot
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PeriodArchaic
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Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
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Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
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The central tondo shows a winged deity of Assyrian type felling a rampant lion with a sword. The surrounding frieze presents a variety of animal and narrative motifs, including two specifically Egyptian subjects: a sphinx wearing the Egyptian double crown and a lion treading over a dead man, symbolizing the pharaoh dominating his enemies. The broad outer band features a variety of combats. Of greatest importance, however, are two inscriptions. At the top, above an Assyrianizing figure killing a lion, a Cypriot syllabic inscription reads, “I am [the bowl] of Akestor, king of Paphos.” It was partly obliterated and replaced by “I am [the bowl] of Timokretes,” presumably the next owner. The bowl is exceptionally significant for its excellent condition, high quality, and amalgam of Egyptian, Assyrian, and Phoenician features.