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Source Description
This magnificent pitcher, called a ewer, was almost certainly meant for serving wine in the dining room of a wealthy home. On its surface are images in three bands representing the expected bounty of the hunt. Deer pursued by a lioness and hares chased by dogs appear in the top band, signifying the wealth of game the owner hoped to have on the family table. In the lowest band are edible sea creatures, while the center features the merry followers of the Roman wine god Bacchus (Dionysos in Greek).
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
134950
label
Ewer (Pitcher) with Game, Seafood, and Wine Scenes
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
134950
contentType
object
title
Ewer (Pitcher) with Game, Seafood, and Wine Scenes
description
This magnificent pitcher, called a ewer, was almost certainly meant for serving wine in the dining room of a wealthy home. On its surface are images in three bands representing the expected bounty of the hunt. Deer pursued by a lioness and hares chased by dogs appear in the top band, signifying the wealth of game the owner hoped to have on the family table. In the lowest band are edible sea creatures, while the center features the merry followers of the Roman wine god Bacchus (Dionysos in Greek).
date
late 300s CE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60761275
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 40 x 14.3 cm (15 3/4 x 5 5/8 in.)
cul
Byzantium, Syria(?), Byzantine period
accession
1957.497
Source extras
tec
silver with traces of gilding
tombstone
Ewer (Pitcher) with Game, Seafood, and Wine Scenes, late 300s CE. Byzantium, Syria(?), Byzantine period. Silver with traces of gilding; overall: 40 x 14.3 cm (15 3/4 x 5 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with the addition of a gift from Mrs. Edward B. Greene, 1957.497
collection
MED - Byzantine
citations
citation
Milliken, William. "Early Byzantine Silver." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art </em>45, no. 3 (March 1958): 35-40.
page_number
Reproduced: cover; Mentioned: p. 39
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 37
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 37
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 38
citation
Hobbs, Richard. <em>The Mildenhall Treasure: Late Roman Silver Plate from East Anglia.</em> London: The British Museum, 2016.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 41, pl. 52
citation
Thomas, Thelma K. "Material Meaning in Late Antiquity." In <em>Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity. </em>Thelma K. Thomas, ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 39, fig. 1-1.23
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with the addition of a gift from Mrs. Edward B. Greene
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:53:58.997000
sourceId
134950
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Byzantine
med
silver with traces of gilding
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
43eb2a0039cf450c