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

Unknown

ca. 1550–1500 BCE · Electrum · Greek and Roman Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1550–1500 BCE

Medium

Electrum

Culture

Helladic, Mycenaean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1907