The symbolism of the Lycurgus Cup

Authors

  • Maja Miziur-Moździoch

Keywords:

Lycurgus, Dionysus, vase painting, mosaics, glass

Abstract

The Rothschild Lycurgus Cup from the 4th c. AD is one of the most renowned masterpieces of late Roman glass workmanship. It represents a type referred to as ‘cage cups’ (diatreta) and belongs to a rare group of dichroic glass. It depicts the punishment of king Lycurgus for his hubris against Dionysus. The focus of the paper is on the iconography of the decoration and its symbolism. The frieze on the Lycurgus Cup is compared to other representations of the myth on ancient vases and mosaics in order to get a broader view of the theme. Moreover, the paper introduces a different interpretation related to a possible other usage of the cup

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Published

2017-01-01

How to Cite

Miziur-Moździoch, M. (2017). The symbolism of the Lycurgus Cup. Archaeologia Polona, 55, 99–111. Retrieved from https://journals.iaepan.pl/apolona/article/view/274

Issue

Vol. 55 (2017): Pottery and glass in contemporary studies

Section

Articles

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