Cleveland Museum of Art

Ewer (Pitcher) with Game, Seafood, and Wine Scenes

Date

late 300s CE

Medium

silver with traces of gilding

Culture

Byzantium, Syria(?), Byzantine period

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This magnificent pitcher, called a ewer, was almost certainly meant for serving wine in the dining room of a wealthy home. On its surface are images in three bands representing the expected bounty of the hunt. Deer pursued by a lioness and hares chased by dogs appear in the top band, signifying the wealth of game the owner hoped to have on the family table. In the lowest band are edible sea creatures, while the center features the merry followers of the Roman wine god Bacchus (Dionysos in Greek).

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.