Kantharos (drinking cup)
Kantharos (drinking cup)

On view

Ancient Mediterranean Art

Kantharos (drinking cup),

late 4th century BCE

South Italian, Apulian
Hellenistic Period, ca. 323–30 BCE
y1961-66

What story does this beautifully preserved kantharos tell? Perhaps it was intended to grace special occasions. I imagine the cup adorning a splendid table, where my ancient Sicilian ancestors sit to enjoy a grand feast, with abundant platters of fish, bowls of olives, fruit, and flowers. Its graceful curves and luxurious handles seem to reach toward the heavens. Whose lips last savored the taste of wine from this
timeless creation? It whispers stories of joyful celebrations, uniting the past with the present in an eternal dance of beauty and artistry. As a floral designer and shop owner, I view the cup as a vase, and I want to fill it with beautiful, lush flowers and vines like dahlias, roses, bougainvillea, and orange blooms, all in a captivating sunset palette. I see it as a timeless canvas for nature’s most vibrant artistry, a true celebration of life’s beauty and the joy it brings.

Adriene Presti, artistic director & owner, Dahlia Florals

Information

Title
Kantharos (drinking cup)
Dates

late 4th century BCE

Medium
Gnathian ware ceramic
Dimensions
19.5 x 15.3 cm, diam. 11.0 cm (7 11/16 x 6 x 4 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Horace L. Mayer
Object Number
y1961-66
Place Made

Europe, Italy, Apulia or Campania (southern Italy)

Culture
Apulian
Period
Hellenistic
Type
kantharoi, ceramics
Materials
glaze, ceramic
Subject
berry, flowers (plants), vines, plant-derived motifs

Given to the Museum by Horace Mayer in 1961

IIIF manifest

The International Image Interoperability Framework, or IIIF, is an open standard for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. Visit iiif.io to learn more.

Open API URL

Our API is generally designed to provide programmatic access to the Museum's collections data for applications that require regular updates and/or the ability to dynamically query and filter the data via the endpoints provided.

Share your feedback with us

The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

Explore More

Holidays at the Museum

Princeton Collects

Mosaic Restaurant