Phiale, Patera, Libation Bowl

Details

Libation bowls were used in ancient Greek (Phiale) and ancient Roman (Patera) rituals to give offerings of wine, honey or milk to the Gods. 

A common offering would have been wine mixed with water; this wine would be decanted from a jug or flagon into the phiale and then poured onto the ground in offering to the Gods. The worshipper may have then drunk any remaining wine. 

The nob in the centre of the dish is hollowed to allow the user to comfortably hold the bowl during the various stages of the ritual. Called the 'navel' or 'omphalos', this style of libation bowl is sometimes referred to as a mesophilic phiale. 

We make our Diana Patera in small batches, so you may receive a different Patera shown in the images. However, all Patera are made in the same style, and variations will be minor. 

'Add To Cart' items are ready to send straight away. Please be aware that if bought alongside 'Pre-order' items, your order will be sent when all items are ready. 

'Pre-order' items are made to order, and we will dispatch them as soon as we have handcrafted them for you; this usually takes 90 days, but international orders can take a little longer.

Materials

Terracotta with a red slip finish. 

Dimensions

Approx 45mm tall, 180mm diameter 

Production

This replica Roman pot has been hand-made in Northumberland by Potted History, based on an original artefact. It has been fired to a temperature between 800 & 1000 Centigrade to emulate the same techniques the original potters would have employed nearly two thousand years ago. This process often results in surface colour and texture variations, as is common with the original Roman pottery and gives each piece its unique character.

Health and Safety

As with all of our museum-quality replicas, this piece has been fired to achieve an authentic finish. Like the original, it is unglazed and has no modern finishes applied. As a result, this pot does not meet modern health and safety standards, and although decorative, we recommend that you refrain from using this pot should not be used for its original purpose.

Postage

All items are sent using a second-class postal service; if you wish to have an item sent first-class, please get in touch with us for a quote. Many Thanks