Silver-gilt cup (one of a pair)
The cups are decorated on the interior with an outer band of gilding engraved with ivy leaves and tendrils and, within a star pattern, a central medallion depicting Dionysos, the god of wine, with his customary attribute, an ivy-tipped thyrsos (staff). Such decoration is highly appropriate for a pair of drinking cups. Unusually, their bowls were hammered from thin sheets of silver rather than cast, making them lightweight and easy to use.
Artwork Details
- Title: Silver-gilt cup (one of a pair)
- Period: Late Classical or Hellenistic
- Date: 4th–3rd century BCE
- Culture: Greek, South Italian
- Medium: Silver, gold
- Dimensions: H. 2 1/2 in. (6.3 cm); diameter 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm); length including handles 9 5/8 in. (24.5 cm)
- Classification: Gold and Silver
- Credit Line: Purchase, Patti Cadby Birch Gift, 1993
- Object Number: 1993.367.1
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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Greek, South Italian
4th–3rd century BCE
Greek
ca. 200 BCE
East Greek
ca. 300 BCE
Greek
ca. 330–300 BCE
Greek
3rd–2nd century BCE
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