Bronze Bowl (Patera)

Bronze vessel (patera) of hemispherical shape, featuring a central hemispherical boss (omphalos) on the inner base, from which the term omphalos or “omphalos bowl” is derived.

Paterae were not simple containers, but sacred objects symbolizing the relationship between humans and the divine, essential for honoring and invoking the protection of the goddess. Their distinctive shape was designed to facilitate the gestures performed during certain sacred rites and ceremonies held within the sanctuary, such as libations. These rituals involved offering liquids—such as wine, honey, milk, or water—to the deity, poured onto the altar or onto the ground as acts of devotion and supplication.

The large number of paterae discovered in the sanctuary of Capo Colonna highlights the importance and frequency of libation rituals in the cult of Hera Lacinia.