Pouring libations of wine or oil onto hallowed ground was one way in which the ancient Greeks made offerings to their gods. To perform this ritual, specialized vessel forms were developed. One was the phiale, an offering dish that usually had curving sides and a rounded protuberance rising from the bottom. Both ceramic and metal bowls were manufactured in this shape, some plain and others intricately decorated.

One of the earliest surviving vessels of precious metal in this form and a rare example in gold, this phiale is simply decorated, segmented and embellished with bands of beading on parts of the interior. The surface has been left mostly plain, highlighting the intrinsic splendor of the lustrous material. On the exterior, just below the rim, an incised inscription reads: "The sons of Kypselos dedicated [this bowl] from Heraklea."

Kypselos was the first tyrant of Corinth. He took control of the city-state from its king by a coup in 657 B.C. and was succeeded thirty years later by his son, Periander. The family amassed great wealth and used some of it to support sanctuaries throughout Greece, including the construction of a treasury at Delphi and the dedication of an ivory box adorned with gold at Olympia, both mentioned in Greek literature. This gold phiale, found at Olympia, weighs more than 800 grams (291?2 ounces). A tremendous amount of precious metal by ancient Greek standards, it was an astounding demonstration of family wealth and power but also of reverence for and gratitude toward the gods. Probably made at Corinth, the bowl was financed, according to the inscription, by the spoils of a battle fought at a place called Heraklea.

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