One of Two Skyphoi

This silver skyphos, one of a matching pair, once formed part of a luxury table service. A silversmith hammered the plain body of this cup from a single sheet of silver and then smoothed it on a lathe. Lathe marks are still visible on the outside of the cup near the rim. The simplicity of the body contrasts with the scrollwork and ivy leaf decoration on the handles. Composed of several parts, the handles were designed to be held with thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. The foot and handles were made separately and soldered onto the body. Skyphoi, made first only in terracotta, then also in silver and glass, were popular for a long period in the Greek and Roman world. The form of this skyphos helps scholars to establish the date of its creation. The walls of the cup are not upright, as was usual in the Roman period, but curve inward, indicating a date in the first century B.C. This shape and the decoration of the handles indicate that the cup was made in Asia Minor in modern Turkey.