A Phoenician bronze libation bowl, 8th - 6th century B.C.Hammered bronze bowl with a slightly thickened rim and a central, bevelled omphalos, surrounded by circular point decorations and a linear border. The outer border of beads serves as the base line for the actual frieze, with four delicately worked stags with long ears and magnificent antlers. The bodies covered in dots. The stags stand between trees with long branches, bearing large fruits. Another band of cross-hatching below the rim. Impressive vessel from an aristocratic house. Rare. Spots of corrosion on the exterior of the base and a small, barely visible restoration, otherwise intact. Diameter 19.7 cm.Provenance: Acquired in the Austrian art trade. Originally in a private US collection from the 1980s. Christie’s New York on 6 December 2007, lot no. 541. Subsequently in a private French collection.Condition: II -