The local production of bronze vessels in Antigonea has been confirmed by the discovery of a workshop found within the residence of the city’s artisan known as Pirro.
The figure of the sphinx found within this workshop must have served as a decorative holder for a large bronze vessel. Wings, crafted separately, have been placed on the sphinx’s body, one of which is missing. Creating the movement in the form of an arch, which seems to stretch forward, this female figure with eagle wings fulfills the functional aspect of this holder. The beautiful stylistic form of the sphinx as well as other discovered objects indicate the high level achieved by artisans in the city of Antigone.
This object is preserved in the National Historical Museum.
Antigonea was an ancient city built in the 3rd century BC; it was a short-lived city, which lasted about 150 years. Its ruins are located 14 kilometers from the city of Gjirokastra.
The founding of the city is linked to one of the most famous names of antiquity, King Pyrrhus of Epirus. In the early 3rd century BC, Pyrrhus was forced to go to war in Egypt, where his abilities attracted the attention of Berenice, the wife of King Ptolemy of Egypt, who offered him the hand of her daughter, Antigonea. As a token of appreciation for his mother-in-law and his first wife, Pyrrhus decided to build a new city named Antigonea.
