An interesting late 18th / early 19th century silver gilt collection dish, The Levant circa 1800 Judaica, of dished oval form with an applied side handle of shaped outline, with chased decoration of pairs of griffins, the out two holding swords, all centred by a pierced hole. The bowl section with fluted base, chased to the exterior with stylised palmettes between herringbone bands. The reverse of handle with engraved foliate scrolls, the reverse of the bowl with an engraved inscription in Phoenician characters. Marked only to the reverse of handle with the French second standard gold mark (750/1000) for Paris 1798-1809 by Ami Gros (reg. 1798/99, biff. 1822). Length – 17.4 cm / 6.9 inches Weight – 177 grams / 5.69 ozt Ami Gross registered as a watch maker at 24 Place Thionville. This dish is believed to be a collection plate for use in the Jewish faith or possibly for use in handwashing. A essentially identical example in gilt copper attributed the Balkans region in the 18th century was offered Bonhams New Bond Street, 5 April 2011, Lot 153, where it is discussed that “[t]he shape of this dish bears is related to the drinking cup or "belt bowl" which has its origins in Eastern Asia, spreading West from the Ural river during the Mongol expansion in the early 13th century.” The French import marks help date the piece to the 18th or very early 19th century at the latest, clearly an error was performed at assay or that a heavily gilded dish was tested as if gold. The Jewish surname Gross or Groß, in Germany, is of German, Prussian, and Yiddish origin and it is likely that this silversmith/watchmaker imported this item to France for his own or congregations’ use, as this does not align with his profession. Further examples and research would be needed to establish if these dishes hail from a specific region over The Levant such as Ottoman Greece or Syria.