Cream-colored cup with a small round foot and a thin stem. Two thin arms flare up and out from mid-cup in a "V" shape and bend inward without reconnecting to the cup. The cup's opening tapers in before flaring out again at the lip. Greek letters are inscribed on the cup between the arms and lip.

Kantharos (Wine Cup)

310-280 BCE

Greek; Apulia, Italy probably made in Canosa, said to have been found in Tarento, Italy

Apulia

This style of cup, with its tall, thin stem and symmetrical handles, is called a kantharos. The form was extremely popular for drinking wine in ancient Greece. An inscription near the lip reads [i]Aphrodites[/i], dedicating the vessel “to Aphrodite.” This represents a fitting tribute to the goddess of pleasure and beauty, who was also romantically linked to the wine god, Dionysos.

Terracotta with traces of gilding

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium