The Lycurgus Cup
- Gallery: Room 41
- Culture: Late Roman
- Date: 4thC
- Object type: drinking-cup
- Materials: glass; silver
- Museum number: 1958,1202.1
- 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.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Lycurgus Cup," a stunning drinking-cup from the Late Roman period, dating to the 4th century. This unique piece is made of glass, beautifully gilded in silver, and features a combination of red and green tones that change depending on the light—some parts glow from within.
The artwork is decorated with detailed scenes of King Lycurgus, a figure from Greek mythology. The cup’s design is both intricate and dramatic, depicting his dramatic downfall in vivid relief. Around the top of the cup runs a gold band of leaf ornament, and the base is supported by a silver-gilt foot decorated with vine leaves.
Created using a rare technique known as "diatreta," the cup was meticulously cut with tiny, delicate patterns—an early form of Roman glasswork that shows incredible craftsmanship.
See it in person
The Lycurgus Cup is on display in Room 41 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.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
