Silver-gilt cup (one of a pair)

Unknown

4th–3rd century BCE · Silver, gold · Greek and Roman Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

4th–3rd century BCE

Medium

Silver, gold

Culture

Greek, South Italian

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Purchase, Patti Cadby Birch Gift, 1993