Beaker 1011

Beaker 1011

Conical Beaker with Mythological Figures
1st century AD

Catalogue code: 052a (blue green)

At least eleven virtually identical examples of this beaker have survived.

The figures are known from other sources, and appear to be: Diana, with catches of game; Hercules bearing a sacrificial calf; a figure with a sickle and a jug of wine, probably Hymen, god of marriage; and Mercury, holding a caduceus (a staff entwined with two serpents) and a tortoise shell.



It is likely that they represent the gods bringing gifts to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis. (This Hymeneal procession suggests the possibility that these vessels were intended for sale as wedding presents).

A complete example is in the British Museum.

Height: 12.80cm   Diameter at rim: 6.70cm

Home   Gallery