Handle
This handle is in the shape of a duck’s head, with the beak touching the rim. It is made of green stone and was probably originally part of a large bowl or round tray.
Stone trays and dishes were found in the Treasury at Persepolis, some with handles in the form of animals, including duck’s heads. These were used at royal banquets, where the Persian king displayed his wealth and power and sometimes gave vessels from the table as gifts to his guests. It is unclear whether this handle came from a royal tray or if it was instead from a modest imitation, acquired by someone who merely aspired to be a royal dinner guest. There was a long history in Iran of decorating vessels with animal features, and the Achaemenids adopted and expanded this practice.
Stone trays and dishes were found in the Treasury at Persepolis, some with handles in the form of animals, including duck’s heads. These were used at royal banquets, where the Persian king displayed his wealth and power and sometimes gave vessels from the table as gifts to his guests. It is unclear whether this handle came from a royal tray or if it was instead from a modest imitation, acquired by someone who merely aspired to be a royal dinner guest. There was a long history in Iran of decorating vessels with animal features, and the Achaemenids adopted and expanded this practice.
Artwork Details
- Title: Handle
- Period: Achaemenid
- Date: ca. 5th century BCE
- Geography: Iran
- Culture: Achaemenid
- Medium: Stone
- Dimensions: Width: 4.84 in. (12.30 cm); Height of duck head: 1.69 in. (4.30 cm); Width of duck head: 0.98 in. (2.50 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Walter Hauser, 1951
- Object Number: 51.165
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
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Achaemenid
ca. 358–338 BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
Iran
ca. 9th century BCE
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