In the sixth century B.C., under the leadership of Cyrus the Great (r. 538–530 B.C.), the Persian Achaemenid dynasty overthrew Median kings and established an empire that would eventually extend from eastern Europe and Egypt to India. Achaemenid rulers included such famed kings as Cyrus, Darius I (r. 521–486 B.C.), and Xerxes I (r. 485–465 B.C.). Fluted bowls and plates of the Achaemenid period continue a tradition begun in the Assyrian Empire. While they were given as royal gifts, it seems that they were also valued and exchanged simply for the weight of the precious metals from which they were made. [Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Featured Artwork of the Day: Fluted bowl | ca. 6th–5th century B.C. | Iran met.org/16ZMYT4]
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 01:06:11 +0000
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