The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 18, 2025
Phiale (Libation Dish)
c. 500–400 BCE
Location: 102B Greek
Did You Know?
The central projection within the phiale is called an omphalos (“navel”).Description
This phiale or libation dish takes the form of a shallow bowl with a round protrusion in the center. Dishes of this type were used for many different rituals: when asking for blessings or good fortune, giving thanks, praying for fertility, and when celebrating athletic victories or weddings. Pouring libations for the gods was one of the oldest forms of worship in the ancient world.- Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1980." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 68, no. 6 (1981): 163-219. Listed, p. 211, no. 5. www.jstor.org
- CMA, "Year in Review 1980," CMA Bulletin (1981), 211, no. 5.
- {{cite web|title=Phiale (Libation Dish)|url=false|author=|year=c. 500–400 BCE|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1980.296