The Achaemenid Empire was an ancient
Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the
Great (Cyrus II of Persia, c.600 BC-
530 BC) in 6th century BC. The Empire
was one of the most dynamic and
historically significant socio-
political entities of the period. As
the First Persian Empire, it
originally based in Persia but its
border extended eastwards and into the
Mediterranean region. The empire
continued to grow until Cyrus’ death,
by which time the kingdom extended as
far as the Hindu Kush in present day
Afghanistan. The economy of the
Achaemenids was affluent, fueled by an
introduction of stable gold currency,
and the road system allowed the spread
of trade, luxurious works, and ideas.
In particular, the cultural
achievements of the Achaemenids were
considerable, as free trade and social
tolerance went to provide a
comparatively enlightened environment
in which the arts could flourish. As a
result, the artists and craftsmen of
the time were able to produce a wide
variety of elite artworks such as
this.
This silver lion-headed rhyton
terminating originated in the
Achaemenid Empire, combining the older
Near Eastern traditions of animal-
headed cups and Iranian traditions of
animal-shaped vessels. The horn-shaped
vessels ending in a head of animal
have a long history in the Near East.
Notably the rhytons, vessels which
have a hole at the front from which
liquid flows, were highly valued in
ancient Near Eastern society. During
the pre-Achaemenid and Achaemenid
periods, examples made of silver and
gold were used throughout a vast area
extending both to the east and west of
Iran. The animals on these vessels
included the ram, horse, bull, ibex
and supernatural creatures.
Early Iranian examples are straight
with the cup and animal head in the
same plane. Later, in the Achaemenid
period, the animal decoration was
often connected at a right angle and
the head placed horizontally to the
beaker as the part of terminating. The
lion's head, delicately expressed in
curly fur, was probably the part of
the decoration that leaped out from
the curved body of a silver rhyton. In
Near Eastern art, the lion was a
symbol of nobility and courage and it
had a royal association. The
Achaemenids used rhytons at royal
courts, where the king displayed his
wealth and power. The rhytons
especially made of precious materials,
such as this silver cup, were the
symbol of the high status because
these luxury wares were used by the
upper status who had been invited to
royal banquets. -MK
(Reference: Béatrice André-Salvini.
Forgotten Empire: The World of
Ancient Persia. University of
California Press, 2005; Thomas
Harrison. The Great Empires of the
Ancient World. J. Paul Getty
Museum, 2009.)
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