Attic cup
- Maker: Attributed to The Castelgiorgio Painter
- Culture: Attic
- Made in: Attica (Greece)
- Date: 490BC-480BC (circa)
- Object type: cup
- Materials: pottery
- Museum number: 1836,0224.131
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
Before you is an Attic cup, a red-figured pottery piece crafted in Attica, Greece, around 490 to 480 BCE. The cup once held wine and was painted by an artist known as The Castelgiorgio Painter, a name given based on a discovery site rather than a personal signature.
Inside the cup, a bearded man sits on a cushioned chair, gesturing with his hands while holding a small offering vessel. Before him stands a woman in flowing robes, holding what appears to be a wine jug. Her posture suggests she has just poured wine into the man's vessel and is turning away. These painted figures are surrounded by rich decorative details, including a fluted column and borders with intricate patterns called stopt maeanders.
The exterior features two dramatic scenes: a fierce battle between Achilles and Memnon, and a gathering of divine figures—Zeus, Ares, Hera, and others. These scenes reflect popular themes in Greek art and mythology, inviting the viewer to consider the stories behind each figure and gesture.
See it in person
Attic cup is on display at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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