Description:

**Originally Listed At $750**

Northern Italy, Tuscany, Etruscan culture, ca. 5th to 3rd century BCE. A fascinating bronze ladle or kyathos of unique form featuring an open loop that would have held a bowl on one end and a duck-headed handle at the other. The curved handle first broadens then tapers to a flattened stem that elegantly twists just before the open loop with bent finials. The ladle - in Latin, a simpulum or simpuvium - was used to make libations and to taste wines and liquors that were poured on the heads of sacrificial victims. It was also more generally just a utensil, shown in banqueting scenes on Greek and Italian vases aiding in the distribution of wine into cups. The hooked end of the handle is shown in a scene from an Etruscan tomb being held by a slave and used to hang the utensil from the side of a large wine vessel. Size: 17.1" L x 1.7" W (43.4 cm x 4.3 cm); 16.5" H (41.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#175360

  • Condition: Missing dipper bowl of ladle. Slight bending to open loop but form is still very clear. Otherwise, excellent with nice patina throughout.

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February 10, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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