DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0372
1204
Appendix N
was later, not earlier, than the shell. He argued that the inner bowl appropriate
to the shell would be of glass ; and this, when broken, might well have been re-
placed by a silver substitute of later and clumsier make1. If so, the shell cannot
be earlier than the introduction of open-work over glass. And when did that
take place? We think first, no doubt, of the finest extant example, the silver-gilt
kdntharos found in 1871 in a tomb to the north of Tiflis and now preserved in the
Hermitage at Petrograd'2. Here a vessel of dark violet glass was actually blown
into shape within the holder and still bears in places the impress of the silver
upon it. Stephani, who published this splendid cup—it is six inches high,—
assigns it on account of its hunting-scene to a date c. 200 a.d. ; and we note in
passing that the rosettes round its rim recall those of the Antioch chalice. But
other examples of the art are of much earlier date. To the period of Augustus
or Tiberius belongs a skyphos of open-work lead formerly in the Slade collection
and now in the British Museum'5. This curious work, perhaps a goldsmith's
model, has blown within it a cup of azure glass, which shows through oval
openings in a band about its waist. Above are Bacchic scenes in relief with
incised inscriptions*. Below is another relief of vine-tendrils and grape-bunches.
The two handles also are decorated with masks. Earlier still may be placed the
skyphos found in 1876 at Varpelev in Zealand and now in the Museum at Copen-
hagen5. It is a bowl of deep blue glass, the upper part of which is covered with
a decorative design of vine-leaves, ivy-leaves, etc. in open-work silver. It was
found with coins of Probus (276—282 A.D.), but is itself Greek work0 of the early
found in the temple of Solomon (Io. Malal. chron. 10 p. 260 f. Dindorf), it is just think-
able that this silver cup of special sanctity was presented on the same occasion to the
Antiochenes. Dr Eisen, however, does not press the point {Am. Journ. Arch. 1917 xxi.
171 f.) and obviously inclines to a different and a more heroic hypothesis. With the fall of
Jerusalem Antioch became the main centre of Christianity in the east. May not the inner
bowl of the chalice have been brought thither from Jerusalem ? May it not even have been
the very vessel used in Apostolic times by the infant Church ? Nay more, might it not
conceivably have been the actual Cup of the Last Supper? No wonder that in the great
Syrian capital, where the disciples were first called Christians, those who obtained posses-
sion of a relic so precious lavished all the resources of early imperial art upon its external
embellishment.
1 E. H. Minns in The Cambridge Review of Feb. 15, 1924 (xlv. 216). Sir Martin
Conway in The Burlington Magazine for Sept. 1924 (xlv. 109) independently makes the
same conjecture: 'I suggest,' he says, 'that this original was of coloured glass.' Mr F.
Kouchakji in a letter to me (March 4, 1924) replies by anticipation : ' So far all the open-
work over glass cups that have come down to us from antiquity are very small. None of
them possessed a glass cup of the size of the inner cup. Then, if a fine glass cup had been
broken, it would have been replaced by a finished cup and not by a crudely made one,
never finished.'
2 L. Stephani in the Co7>ipte-rendu St. Pet. 1872 p. 143 ff. Atlas pi. 2, 1 and 2 (in
colours), E. Saglio in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. i. 808 fig. 981, H. Bliimner Technologie
und Terminologie der Gewerbe und Kiinste bei Griechen und Romern Leipzig 1887 iv.
405 n. 1, A. Kisa Das Glas im Altertume Leipzig 1908 ii. 602 ff. with figs. 208, 208a.
3 Gerhard Ant. Bildw. p. 327 pi. 87, 1—4, A. Kisa op. cit. ii. 602 with figs. 335,
335 a, 335 b.
* (a) DOMITIl.LAE I STATILIO CONIVGI, (b) SALVS | GEN • HVM. Below the foot is an
inscription in relief: (c) ■ FM • AVG jf£. Clearly {a) and (b) are later than (c).
5 C Engelhardt in the Aarbjger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie 1877 p. 354
with col. pi. 1, A. Kisa op. cit. ii. 604 b with fig. 209.
6 Witness the wave-pattern round its rim, broken by the single word eyTYX^JC-
Appendix N
was later, not earlier, than the shell. He argued that the inner bowl appropriate
to the shell would be of glass ; and this, when broken, might well have been re-
placed by a silver substitute of later and clumsier make1. If so, the shell cannot
be earlier than the introduction of open-work over glass. And when did that
take place? We think first, no doubt, of the finest extant example, the silver-gilt
kdntharos found in 1871 in a tomb to the north of Tiflis and now preserved in the
Hermitage at Petrograd'2. Here a vessel of dark violet glass was actually blown
into shape within the holder and still bears in places the impress of the silver
upon it. Stephani, who published this splendid cup—it is six inches high,—
assigns it on account of its hunting-scene to a date c. 200 a.d. ; and we note in
passing that the rosettes round its rim recall those of the Antioch chalice. But
other examples of the art are of much earlier date. To the period of Augustus
or Tiberius belongs a skyphos of open-work lead formerly in the Slade collection
and now in the British Museum'5. This curious work, perhaps a goldsmith's
model, has blown within it a cup of azure glass, which shows through oval
openings in a band about its waist. Above are Bacchic scenes in relief with
incised inscriptions*. Below is another relief of vine-tendrils and grape-bunches.
The two handles also are decorated with masks. Earlier still may be placed the
skyphos found in 1876 at Varpelev in Zealand and now in the Museum at Copen-
hagen5. It is a bowl of deep blue glass, the upper part of which is covered with
a decorative design of vine-leaves, ivy-leaves, etc. in open-work silver. It was
found with coins of Probus (276—282 A.D.), but is itself Greek work0 of the early
found in the temple of Solomon (Io. Malal. chron. 10 p. 260 f. Dindorf), it is just think-
able that this silver cup of special sanctity was presented on the same occasion to the
Antiochenes. Dr Eisen, however, does not press the point {Am. Journ. Arch. 1917 xxi.
171 f.) and obviously inclines to a different and a more heroic hypothesis. With the fall of
Jerusalem Antioch became the main centre of Christianity in the east. May not the inner
bowl of the chalice have been brought thither from Jerusalem ? May it not even have been
the very vessel used in Apostolic times by the infant Church ? Nay more, might it not
conceivably have been the actual Cup of the Last Supper? No wonder that in the great
Syrian capital, where the disciples were first called Christians, those who obtained posses-
sion of a relic so precious lavished all the resources of early imperial art upon its external
embellishment.
1 E. H. Minns in The Cambridge Review of Feb. 15, 1924 (xlv. 216). Sir Martin
Conway in The Burlington Magazine for Sept. 1924 (xlv. 109) independently makes the
same conjecture: 'I suggest,' he says, 'that this original was of coloured glass.' Mr F.
Kouchakji in a letter to me (March 4, 1924) replies by anticipation : ' So far all the open-
work over glass cups that have come down to us from antiquity are very small. None of
them possessed a glass cup of the size of the inner cup. Then, if a fine glass cup had been
broken, it would have been replaced by a finished cup and not by a crudely made one,
never finished.'
2 L. Stephani in the Co7>ipte-rendu St. Pet. 1872 p. 143 ff. Atlas pi. 2, 1 and 2 (in
colours), E. Saglio in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. i. 808 fig. 981, H. Bliimner Technologie
und Terminologie der Gewerbe und Kiinste bei Griechen und Romern Leipzig 1887 iv.
405 n. 1, A. Kisa Das Glas im Altertume Leipzig 1908 ii. 602 ff. with figs. 208, 208a.
3 Gerhard Ant. Bildw. p. 327 pi. 87, 1—4, A. Kisa op. cit. ii. 602 with figs. 335,
335 a, 335 b.
* (a) DOMITIl.LAE I STATILIO CONIVGI, (b) SALVS | GEN • HVM. Below the foot is an
inscription in relief: (c) ■ FM • AVG jf£. Clearly {a) and (b) are later than (c).
5 C Engelhardt in the Aarbjger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie 1877 p. 354
with col. pi. 1, A. Kisa op. cit. ii. 604 b with fig. 209.
6 Witness the wave-pattern round its rim, broken by the single word eyTYX^JC-