Getty Museum

Skyphos

Date

50–25 B.C.

Medium

Silver

Culture

Roman

Department

Vessels

Institution

Getty Museum

Four flying Cupids support a large continuous garland that wraps around this Roman silver skyphos, one of a pair of matching cups (see also [75.AM.54](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/7228/unknown-maker-skyphos-roman-50-25-bc/)). The two cups are not identical, however, for the Cupids on each differ slightly in their posture and placement. The garland is wound with ribbons and rich with fruits, including pomegranates, grapes, olives, and pinecones. Birds perch on and hover over the garland, while various items hang from it: tympana (drums), cistae (wicker baskets), auloi (double pipes), and cymbals, all instruments associated with the cult of the wine-god Bacchus.Cupids carrying garlands and engaging in a wide range of other activities were a popular motif in Roman art of all media in the late first century B.C. and early first century A.D. Themes such as Cupids, Bacchic scenes, and light mythological fare--topics appropriate for the pleasant gatherings at which they would be used--decorated many examples of Roman tableware. This cup is composed of two elements: the outer casing with the repoussé decoration and the inner liner, which includes the rim and handles. The very worn surface of the silver breaks through in places on the higher parts of the relief.

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