This black glazed phiale is a wonderful example of Etruscan pottery. The phiale is “mesomphalic”, so-called because of its central knob or “omphalos” (literally: navel), and is almost entirely covered in black glaze. The ornament is provided by a series of fourteen concentric reserved rings (seven of which decorate the interior of the vessel, the remaining seven, the exterior). Within the vessel, the seven reserved rings are marked with decorative dots in black glaze; on the exterior, the rings are unadorned.

Relatively uncommon in terracotta, the phiale was primarily a metal shape, used to pour libations of wine to the gods: the wine was first decanted into a pouring vessel (such as an oinochoe), from which it was poured into the phiale, and subsequently to the ground. Greek vase painting provides us with many examples of both gods and mortals making libations with a phiale.

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