Bowl with Beaded Rim
Unknown Artist
300–500 CE
Medium
silver
Dimensions
10.4 × 27.8 × 10.5 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1954.259
About this artwork
This bowl was probably intended for use in a private home, perhaps a fashionable villa on the Mediterranean coast. Wealthy Romans stored a variety of silver vessels and implements for entertaining and enjoyed using them while eating and drinking at social events. This bowl is decorated with a beaded rim, a feature often found on domestic silver bowls of this period. The basic shape was formed first by hammering. Then the bowl was polished and chased while it turned on a lathe. The beaded decorat...