Bronze Handle with Two Faces

The Bronze Handle with Two Faces is an ancient artifact from a large-capacity vessel crafted from bronze, discovered at Qaryat al-Faw Archaeological Site, southeast of Wadi ad-Dawasir Governorate in Riyadh Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It dates back to between the third century BCE and the third century CE and was used as a vessel handle.

The bronze handle measures seventeen cm in length and sixteen cm in width. At both ends of the two-faced bronze handle, there is a depiction of a single round-faced woman featuring a small robe, a furrowed forehead, arched and prominent eyebrows, a long and elegantly curved nose, a small mouth with thin lips - where the upper lip is larger than the lower one - large eyes, prominent cheekbones, and curly, unkempt hair. At the center, five rounded bands are visible, three of which are raised and two slightly smaller.

The bronze handle with two faces is preserved in the Museum of the Archaeology Department at King Saud University in the capital, Riyadh. It was selected among a diverse collection of archaeological discoveries in the Kingdom for the Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces Through the Ages Exhibition, which was first held at the Louvre Museum in the French capital, Paris, in 2010. The exhibition continued its tour across several countries worldwide. The discovery of the handle is part of the extensive archaeological survey and excavation efforts conducted by Saudi Arabia's antiquities and museums sector over the past years. It is among the findings of Saudi archaeologists and scientific expeditions. The handle is registered under number 2 F 24.

The artist combined function and artistic creativity in the bronze handle with two faces, serving as a handle for a large vessel while displaying aesthetic excellence by shaping similar faces to adorn its edges. The faces and hairstyle design reflect the art of Mediterranean civilizations influenced by the Hellenistic period.