| DATE | First half of 1st century A.D. |
| AUTHOR | Unknown |
| MEDIA | Glass cameo fragment of a cup |
| SIZE | 9.6 cm (3" 3/4) |
| LOCATION | U.S.A. - New York - Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| NOTES | As an alternative to vessels made of gold, silver, or semi-precious stone, some wealthy Romans, especially in the Augustan and Julio-Claudian periods, chose to decorate their dining tables with cameo glass vessels.
Scenes of lovemaking are common in Greek and Roman art and carried none of the social stigma that can be associated with the explicit depiction of such acts. In the Roman empire, erotic art was was an acceptable genre in its own right.
The scene on this cameo cup fragment shows a couple together on a couch or bed, though it is unclear whether they are mythological figures, deities, or mere humans. Such scenes on drinking cups could have served as mirrors that reflected the riotous fun and games that occurred at Roman drinking parties, similar to the painted drinking cups used at Greek symposia. |
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You will be more than welcome.