Achaemenid Silver Phiale Mesomphalos. 6th-4th century BC. A silver discoid bowl with flared rim and prominent raised central boss surrounded by circles; at the external base a double circle from which are radiating elongated ovules, worked in light repoussé.See similar bowl in the British Museum, accession number 117839, in Hughes, M.J., Analyses of silver objects in the British Museum Treasures, Treasures, The World’s Cultures from the British Museum, London, 2009, p.30.72 grams, 12.5cm (5"). From an important London W1, gallery; previously acquired 1970s-1980s.Libation bowls, known as phialai or mesomphaloi, were used for holding wine in ritual and ceremonial settings and were made from many materials - glass, ceramic, and many kinds of metal. The vessels of each imperial xšaçap?van (Governor of the Achaemenid provinces, in Greek satráp?s) were often made of precious metals, like this one. The raised central boss was a feature designed to allow the bowl to be comfortably held on the finger-tips. [No Reserve]