On November 29 in Paris, Pierre Bergé & Associés sell a Sasanian missorium, lot 179 estimated € 400K. The word Missorium referring to a silver presentation dish is a modern convention.
This gilt silver dish 29 cm in diameter and weighing 896 g shows an enthroned king surrounded by four assistants, along with roaring lions and winged horse-headed chimera. The scene is executed by the technique of cast and wrought metal. The most prominent feature is the head of the monarch, which increases his brightness and therefore favors the royal dignity.
It is not dated but the comparison of style makes it close to a Roman dish known as the missorium of Theodosius, found broken in 1847 in Spain in a tresasure of Oriental origin. Recent studies date the missorium of Theodosius in the fifteenth year of the reign of Theodosius II in Constantinople, 423 of our calendar.
In 422, after a short war, a lasting peace had been concluded between Theodosius II and Bahram V. On another front, Bahram had defeated four Hunnite kings who may be the characters who accompany him on the Sassanid missorium.
One hypothesis that could explain this whole story is that the missorium of Theodosius was used as a presentation dish for Bahram V and the Sasanian missorium coming on sale was an imitation adapting the theme to the glory of the Persian king.
This gilt silver dish 29 cm in diameter and weighing 896 g shows an enthroned king surrounded by four assistants, along with roaring lions and winged horse-headed chimera. The scene is executed by the technique of cast and wrought metal. The most prominent feature is the head of the monarch, which increases his brightness and therefore favors the royal dignity.
It is not dated but the comparison of style makes it close to a Roman dish known as the missorium of Theodosius, found broken in 1847 in Spain in a tresasure of Oriental origin. Recent studies date the missorium of Theodosius in the fifteenth year of the reign of Theodosius II in Constantinople, 423 of our calendar.
In 422, after a short war, a lasting peace had been concluded between Theodosius II and Bahram V. On another front, Bahram had defeated four Hunnite kings who may be the characters who accompany him on the Sassanid missorium.
One hypothesis that could explain this whole story is that the missorium of Theodosius was used as a presentation dish for Bahram V and the Sasanian missorium coming on sale was an imitation adapting the theme to the glory of the Persian king.
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