Sassanian Silver Plate

The Sassanian period is best represented by its metal work. A large number of metal vessels have been attributed to this period. They have a variety of forms and reveal a high standard of technical skill with decoration executed by hammering, beating, engraving or casting.

This is a silver-hammered Sassanian plate, with an interior medallion bearing the chased design of a zoomorphic animal, with a large pendant suspended on a chain from its neck.

The bowl is decorated in a derivative Sassanian style. It may be interpreted in one of two ways. Either it is a modern design or it is from a provincial workshop, possibly of the late post- Sassanian period. However, the surface corrosion of the plate appears to extend consistently across and into the incised lines of the design, arguing in favour of the bowl’s antiquity.