European Bronze Age Cup with Geometrical Decoration

$2,085.12

A Central European bronze sheet, hammered cup, dated stylistically to the Late Bronze Age, featuring a deep cylindrical body, decorated with various bronze work techniques. Two bands of large embossed dots stretch horizontally across the entirety of the bowl, interspersed with a finer line of repousse dots. A band of concentric ribs decorate the lower section of the bowl, just before the inverted foot. A ribbon handle has been attached to the deep rim and to the body, two rivets at each section.

Date: Circa 1300 - 750 BC
Period: Late Bronze Age
Provenance: Private German collection, acquired 1990s. 
Condition: Extremely fine and rare piece, beautiful olive-green patina to the surface. The intense green coloured patina has been corroded in same areas, revealing the bright original yellowish bronze colour. Missing of material to the vessel’s body and rim.

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Stylistically the cup bears resemblance to the Jenišovice-type and is attributed to the Urnfield culture of central Europe. The term ‘urnfield’ refers to the practise of burying the ashes of their deceased in small urns (resembling a bronze conical hat). Other bronze goods, such as cups like this and jewellery, would have been buried together with the urns. The burial practise spread across Central Europe and into Southern Europe, as far as Southern Italy.

To discover more about Bronze Age culture, please visit our relevant blog post: Bronze Age Britain.

Weight 163.2 g
Dimensions W 17 x H 7.4 cm
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Reference: For a similar item, The Thuringen Museum, item 1563.

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