The Lycurgus Cup, dichroic glass and metal cup, Late Roman, 4th century AD. This extraordinary cup i
The Lycurgus Cup, dichroic glass and metal cup, Late Roman, 4th century AD. This extraordinary cup is the only complete example of a very special type of glass, known as dichroic, which changes colour when held up to the light. The opaque green cup turns to a glowing translucent red when light is shone through it. The glass contains tiny amounts of colloidal gold and silver, which give it these unusual optical properties. The scene on the cup depicts an episode from the myth of Lycurgus, a king of the Thracians (around 800 BC). A man of violent temper, he attacked Dionysos and one of his maenads, Ambrosia. Ambrosia called out to Mother Earth, who transformed her into a vine. She then coiled herself about the king, and held him captive. It has been thought that the theme of this myth - the triumph of Dionysos over Lycurgus - might have been chosen to refer to a contemporary political event, the defeat of the emperor Licinius (reigned AD 308-24) by Constantine in AD 324. - britishmuseum. -- source link
#antiquity#europe#iron age#constantine#byzantium#greek mythology#licinius#lycurgus#dionysos#byzantine art#archaeology#decorative arts