Pair of Bronze Hydria Handles with Palmette Terminals, Classical period, ca. 5th century BCE

This elegant pair of wide, crescent-shaped bronze handles exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Classical Greek metalwork. Each handle terminates in stylized palmette and volute motifs, carefully modeled in low relief and cast by the lost-wax (cire perdue) process. The decorative quality of these attachments suggests they were commissioned for a high-status vessel, most likely a large bronze hydria, used for carrying water and often found in domestic, ritual, or funerary contexts.

The sweeping arc of the handles is both functional and ornamental. The flaring terminals, adorned with vegetal scrollwork, reflect the Greek appreciation for symmetry, natural forms, and elegant transitions between utility and aesthetics. Such fittings would have been riveted to the shoulders of a vessel, transforming a utilitarian object into a marker of taste and affluence.

For a related example, see Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession No. 68.11.2

Medium: Cast bronze using the lost-wax method

Dimensions: Each handle length: 7 inches (17.78 cm), Width: 4 inches (10 cm)

Condition: Intact and in very good condition. Presented on museum-quality custom mounts.

Provenance: From the private collection of Raymond A. Davis (1931–2018), California; acquired November 21, 1996, from John Ristow Curiosities, Novato, California; previously with Greg Manning Galleries, New Jersey. Accompanied by a copy of the original invoice from John Ristow. 

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