An Evaluation of Iron Age Bronze Bowls at the Sakarya Museum and the Decoration of Phrygian Lotus Bowls

One of the primary objectives of this research is to analyze the manufacturing techniques and iconographic characteristics of a group of bronze bowls within the inventory of the Sakarya Museum. Consequently, the study seeks to identify their potential production workshops, contexts of use, and overall significance within the Iron Age metal vessel industry. The most original scholarly contribution of this study centres on the Phrygian bowl with a lotus motif. Drawing upon the Hittite artistic tradition materialised in the Eflatunpınar Monument, this study suggests that the bowl’s lotus motif may have emerged under the influence of this tradition. This assessment presents a new theoretical framework rooted in Anatolian monumental relief art, offering an alternative to existing theories on the origins of the ornamentation. While typological analyses carried out on bronze bowls -catalogued and exhibited in the museum as Phrygian artefacts- indicate that the bowls are possibly manufactured between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE in Phrygian, Neo-Assyrian, and Achaemenid workshops, their exceptionally well-preserved condition further strengthens the likelihood that they derive from the burial assemblages of elite members of society. The distinctive application techniques identified in the production and repair processes of these bowls not only demonstrate the high technological and aesthetic capabilities of Iron Age metalworking but also shed light on the crafting traditions that have not previously been documented in the related literature. Within this study, the iconographic elements on the vessels are interpreted not merely as decorative features, but as intellectual compositions reflecting the belief systems, visual imagination, and symbolic universe of Iron Age societies, thereby enriching the current scholarly understanding.