The phia bowl is ornamented at the center with a figured bust of a man, modeled realistically in the round, in the style of the Ausgustan period. The figure has a faint wry smile and rather large protruding ears. It is likely that it was intended as a recognizable depiction of an esteemed of member of the household. It has a companion piece, bearing a figured medallion of a woman, which has become detached from the bowl and is now in the British Museum. In both cases, the busts were modeled separately and attached to the bowl. The shallow wide shape of the vessel is typical for paterae, which were often employed for libations in ceremonies and sacrifices. They are frequently depicted in paintings and in funerary and commemorative sculpture.