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Source Description
The remarkably clear, tiny carvings in an uninterrupted frieze around the lower section include one sacred palm tree and one fig tree (<em>ficus religiosa</em>) 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
161980
label
Libation Cup
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
161980
contentType
object
title
Libation Cup
description
The remarkably clear, tiny carvings in an uninterrupted frieze around the lower section include one sacred palm tree and one fig tree (<em>ficus religiosa</em>) 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.
date
c. 235–185 BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757726
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 7 cm (2 3/4 in.); Overall: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)
cul
India, Maurya period (322–185 BCE)–Shunga period (185–78 BCE)
accession
2001.2
Source extras
tec
bronze, lost wax technique
tombstone
Libation 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
collection
Indian Art - Maurya
didYouKnow
The tree carved into the cup is of the same species as the Bodhi tree, under which the Buddha reached enlightenment.
citations
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions Press Release,” April 4, 2001, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives.
citation
Czuma, Stanislaw. “Two Vessels from Ancient India,” <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> (December 2001): 6-7
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 7
citation
“Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 2000-2001.” <em>Archives of Asian Art</em>, vol. 53, 2002, pp. 111–125.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: fig. 8, p. 113
url
www.jstor.org/stable/20111308
creditline
Dudley P. Allen Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:25:04.567000
sourceId
161980
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Indian Art - Maurya
med
bronze, lost wax technique
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
3f6143b0393352df