A rhyton is a roughly conical container from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony such as libation, or merely at table. They typically have animal's on them, and were produced over large areas of ancient Eurasia, especially from Persia to the Balkans.  In literature and myth, the swan symbolizes light, purity, transformation, intuition, grace. In Ancient Greece the swan stood for the soul and was linked to Apollo, the god of the Sun, whereas in other religions, the swan became a feminine symbol of the moon. All our bronze items, are cast in Greece, using the traditional 'lost wax' method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in patination and colouring. Each piece is, therefore, unique.(46-005-A)