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Libation Cup
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The remarkably clear, tiny carvings in an uninterrupted frieze around the lower section include one sacred palm tree and one fig tree ( ficus religiosa ) that divide the space into two main scenes. One features female musicians, the other has two chariots, each drawn by a pair of galloping horses. Bulls, birds, and flowers fill the background spaces. This cup is from a group found in an area with close links to Indo-Greek kingdoms, and the chariots and framing motifs reveal knowledge of Hellenistic art.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineLibation Cup, c. 235–185 BCE. India, Maurya period (322–185 BCE)–Shunga period (185–78 BCE). Bronze, lost wax technique; diameter: 7 cm (2 3/4 in.); overall: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund, 2001.2
