Pair of electrum handles from a kantharos (drinking cup with two high vertical handles)

Helladic, Mycenaean

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 151

These handles are made from sheets of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. The edges were folded under to enclose bronze wires, a technique often used in Mycenaean metalwork. The shape of the handles indicates that the complete vessel was a kantharos, similar to the gold example on display nearby. Fragments of the vase’s rim indicate that the body was made of silver and the pieces were secured using gold rivets.

Pair of electrum handles from a kantharos (drinking cup with two high vertical handles), Electrum, Helladic, Mycenaean

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