Cleveland Museum of Art

Libation Cup

Date

c. 235–185 BCE

Medium

bronze, lost wax technique

Culture

India, Maurya period (322–185 BCE)–Shunga period (185–78 BCE)

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The remarkably clear, tiny carvings in an uninterrupted frieze around the lower section include one sacred palm tree and one fig tree ( ficus religiosa ) that divide the space into two main scenes. One features female musicians, the other has two chariots, each drawn by a pair of galloping horses. Bulls, birds, and flowers fill the background spaces. This cup is from a group found in an area with close links to Indo-Greek kingdoms, and the chariots and framing motifs reveal knowledge of Hellenistic art. The tree carved into the cup is of the same species as the Bodhi tree, under which the Buddha reached enlightenment.

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