Spouted Vessel

AN00034864_001_l. Gilt-copper alloy spouted vessel, cast and with everted rim, rounded belly and waisted foot, decorated with incised and relief ornament. The handle is formed of a twisted snake emerging from the head of an animal at the rim, where there are the remains of a hinge for the lid, now lost. The spout is in the form of an animal head with lentoid eyes, a collar of incised grooves, and spiral shoulders above a sub-triangular grooved chest. Above the spout is a winged quadruped, holding its tail, and biting its own foreleg. The body of the vessel is decorated with two groups of five reliefs symmetrically arranged on either side of the spout, and separated by small animal masks. Each relief consists of a pair of addorsed birds with panelled wings pecking at a central foliate spray. The foot is surrounded by a plain moulding, and decorated with continuous formalised palmette ornament against a pointillé background. The underside of the foot is also gilded. All these images are © Trustees of the British Museum. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the British Museum's Terms and Conditions (http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_this_site/terms_of_use/free_image_service.aspx). The full image collection is available at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database.aspx where you can also order high resolution copies.