A Survey of the Achaemenid Metal Bowls and PhialsRegarding Their Form, Status, Decoration, and Distribution

The Achaemenid art is a combinatorial art with its elegance and beauty. One of the most elegant artifacts by Achaemenian artists is metal wares, especially bowls. The Achaemenid bowls are one of the most important documents discovered in different parts of the Empire. Some of these bowls have royal inscriptions which represent the importance of these types of wares in the Achaemenid court. These bowls give us significant information about metalwork, decorating style, techniques of production, and commercial, social, economic, and artistic communications. Based on a descriptive-analytical view, the aim of this study is to examine the status and importance of metal bowls in the Achaemenid society. Also, it tries to determine the forms and decorations of bowls and Phials, as well as their dispersion domain, similarities and the main workshops to produce them. This study is based on the library method with comparing and analyzing bowls' patterns. It shows the spread of Achaemenid metal bowls and phials, especially the carina form, throughout the empire. Plant decorations such as lotus, rosette, etc. can be seen on the bowls, like on other Achaemenid artifacts (e.g. reliefs). The tradition of making metal bowls in Achaemenid style continued in different regions even after the fall of the Empire.