Warren Cup
Bittir (ancient Bethther), near Jerusalem,
Roman, AD 5 – 15
A silver cup with relief decoration of
homoerotic scenes, this object takes its name from its first
owner in modern times, the art-lover and collector Edward Perry
Warren (1860-1928).
After Warren's death the cup remained in private hands, largely
because of the nature of the subject matter. Only with changing
attitudes in the 1980s was the cup exhibited to the public, and in
1999 the British Museum was able to give this important piece a
permanent home in the public domain.
The cup was originally made up of five parts - the thin-walled
bowl with its high relief scenes, raised by hammering; an inner
liner of thicker sheet silver with a solid rim, which would have
made both drinking and cleaning easier; a pair of handles (now
lost) and a cast foot soldered to the base.
The scenes on each side show two pairs of male lovers. On one
side the erastes (older, active lover) is bearded and
wears a wreath while the eromenos (younger 'beloved',
passive) is a beardless youth. A servant tentatively comes through
a door. In the background is a draped textile, and a
kithara (lyre) resting on a chest.
In the scene on the other side the erastes is
beardless, while the eromenos is just a boy.
Auloi (pipes) are suspended over the background textile,
and folded textiles are lying on a chest. The surroundings suggest
a cultured, Hellenized setting with music and entertainment.
Representations of sexual acts are widely found in Roman art, on
glass and pottery vessels, terracotta lamps and wall-paintings in
both public and private buildings. They were thus commonly seen by
both sexes, and all sections of society.
The Romans had no concept of, or word for, homosexuality, while
in the Greek world the partnering of older men with youths was an
accepted element of education. The Warren Cup reflects the customs
and attitudes of this historical context, and provides us with an
important insight into the culture that made and used it.
Ancient Rome
