252 dominik bonatz
several times (pl. XXvI). In addition to representations of nude female
figures under a winged sun, it bears an aramaic inscription that identifies
it as a prize of war that “hazael” (probably identical with the like-named
aramaean king of Damascus) seized during his campaign against the
Luwian state of Unqi.236 hazael’s booty was either confiscated by shalma-
neser III in 842 B.c., just after hazael’s campaign, or it fell into assyrian
hands when Damascus was captured by tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.c. the
frontlet with hazael’s inscription was brought to samos by seafaring trad-
ers, though it is unclear how they came into possession of this piece and
whether it was still part of a complete, costly harness. Its eventful history
illustrates how an object’s material value and visual characteristics were
transported across diverse political and ethno-linguistic borders over a
longer time frame. Objects like these offer great interpretative freedoms
to researchers attempting to answer questions concerning the diffusion of
motifs and styles, new owners, and changing contexts of reception.
4.4 Stone Vesselsthe most distinct classes of minor art in the early 1st millennium B.c.
include the delicately carved and incised cosmetic or oil containers
(pyxides), as well as the so-called hand-lion bowls (or spoon bowls) that
were probably used to present offerings during rituals. Most of these
containers and vessels were made of precious stones such as greenstone,
steatite, and serpentine. Only a few were made of ivory or egyptian blue.
a recent review of both groups of objects points to their wide diffusion in
the Luwian and aramaean city-states and beyond.237
the stone pyxides date from the 10th to the early 8th centuries B.c. the
style and iconography of the earlier pieces have been linked to the stone
sculptures in Zincirli and carchemish.238 the later series consists primar-
ily of the finds from tell afis, tell Deinit, and rasm et-tanjara. Found in
an aramaean production area, they were probably products of the same
workshop.239 More numerous and formally diverse are the hand-lion
bowls and spoons that were made during the 9th and 8th centuries B.c.
(pl. XXvIIa–b). the hand is generally shown on the exterior of the base as
236 Kyrieleis – röllig 1988: pls. 9–15 (here pl. XXvI); for the edition of the inscription
and historical commentary, see röllig, ibid. 63–75.
237 For both groups, see Mazzoni 2005; for the pyxides, ead. 2001.
238 Orthmann 1971: 163–164 and Winter 1983: 183f.
239 Mazzoni 2001a: figs. 11, 13, 14 and ead. 2005: 49 figs. 2–3.