Art Institute of Chicago

Kantharos (Wine Cup)

Greek; Apulia, Italy

Date: 310-280 BCE
Medium: Terracotta with traces of gilding
Culture: Apulia
Department: Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

This style of cup, with its tall, thin stem and symmetrical handles, is called a kantharos. The form was extremely popular for drinking wine in ancient Greece. An inscription near the lip reads [i]Aphrodites[/i], dedicating the vessel “to Aphrodite.” This represents a fitting tribute to the goddess of pleasure and beauty, who was also romantically linked to the wine god, Dionysos.

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