Silver Ladle

The Silver Ladle is a finely crafted ladle made of silver, discovered at Qaryat al-Faw Archaeological Site, one of the civilizations that once flourished in the Arabian Peninsula. It is located southeast of Wadi ad-Dawasir Governorate in Riyadh Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The ladle has a straight silver handle that begins wide where it joins the body. At the lower part, two curved horns extend from either side. The thickness of the handle gradually decreases as it extends upward, ending in a round, disk-like piece. Attached to this disk is a circular bowl with an outwardly flared rim. An ibex’s neck rests on the bowl, terminating in a head with small ears and large horns, which show traces of gilding. The exterior surface of the ladle is adorned with palm frond motifs.

Outer diameter of the ladle: Seven cm.

Inner depth: 3.7 cm.

Outer height: Four cm.

Length of the handle without the ibex head: Sixteen cm.

Length of the ibex head: 6.5 cm.

The silver ladle dates back to a period between the third century BCE and the third century CE. It was used as a tableware item.

The ladle is registered under number 39 F 16 and is exhibited at the Museum of the Department of Archaeology at King Saud University in Riyadh. It was one of the archaeological artifacts selected to participate in the Saudi Archeological Masterpieces Through the Ages Exhibition, held at the Louvre Museum in the French capital, Paris, in 2010. The exhibition featured three hundred pieces of varied materials and eras, as well as original artifacts from different provinces of Saudi Arabia. These artifacts are categorized into three historical groups: Prehistoric artifacts, pre-Islamic artifacts, and Islamic-era artifacts.

The ladle's discovery is part of the results of archaeological surveys and excavations conducted by the antiquities and museums sector in Saudi Arabia over the past years. It is among the findings of Saudi archaeologists and scientific expeditions.

This silver ladle reflects elegance in design and artistic value. It also signifies the existence of a local artistic workshop that adopted the ibex head as both an artistic and symbolic motif.