This silver bucket with handle measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter and 9 1/2 inches to top of the handle.

It is covered all around the center in a repeating lion motif along with rows of repeating abstracted plant motifs (above and below the lions).

There is an extensive amount of hand tooling on this bucket and it has been made from one piece of sheet silver wrapped around and joined to create the basic shape. Because silver is very soft it has been reinforced top and bottom. The top has two shields jointed into position and serving as the base of the added handle. The bottom has an extra rim (possibly added later) for reinforcement- for added strength it appears to have been made from silver plated brass. Regular silver will not (or did not) hold up under heavy usage; it is too soft.

There are no silver marks on this piece, which is not surprising for some Middle Eastern silver. This is probably a middle grade (or higher) silver with a plated base rim for strength.

It dates circa 1920 or earlier. Possible origin: Mesopotamia, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt.