Warren Cup
Encyclopedia
The Warren Cup is an ancient Roman silver
drinking cup decorated in relief
with two images of homosexual
acts. The cup is named after its first modern owner, the collector and writer Edward Perry Warren
, and was acquired by the British Museum
in 1999. It is usually dated to the time of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
(1st century AD), but doubts have been raised about its authenticity.
. It was made in five sections: the main bowl, which was hammered thin from inside and subsequently finished off from the outside to produce the figures in relief; a separate plain inner liner bowl of thicker sheet silver with a solid rim, to make the cup easier to use and to clean; a base in solid silver; a cast foot soldered to the base' and two handles. The cup shows signs of having been used over an extensive period; the handles are missing, and the gilding that may have been applied to certain features has been lost. Otherwise it is in an excellent state of preservation.
, although in contrast to Greek art, male-female scenes greatly outnumber same-sex couples. Illustrated drinking cups, often in pairs, were intended as dinner-party conversation piece
s.
One side of the Warren Cup depicts a mature bearded man (the active participant or in Greek terms the erastes) engaging in anal sex
with a young man (the eromenos, "beloved"), who lowers himself onto the erastes using a rope or support from the ceiling in roughly the modern sexual position of reverse cowgirl. Meanwhile a boy, perhaps a slave
, watches surreptitiously from behind a door — the inferior status of a slave in Roman eyes would make him suitable to this role of voyeur
.
The other side depicts a younger adult male holding a boy for intercourse. The boy's hairstyle is typical of the puer delicatus, a slave-boy chosen for his good looks to serve as his master's favorite. The adult wears a wreath, perhaps indicating his role as "erotic conquerer." Roman same-sex practice differed from that of the Greeks, among whom pederasty
was a socially acknowledged relationship between freeborn males of equal social status. Roman men, however, were free to engage in same-sex relations without a perceived loss of masculinity only as long as they took the penetrative role and their partner was a social inferior such as a slave or male prostitute: the paradigm of "correct" male sexuality was one of conquest and domination.
Both scenes show draped textiles in the background, as well as a kithara
(a string instrument) in the former scene and an aulos
(pipes) in the latter. These, along with the careful delineation of ages and status and the wreaths worn by the youths, all suggest a cultured, elite, Hellenized
setting with music and entertainment.
(ancient Bethther), with coins of the emperor Claudius
, possibly buried during the upheavals of the Jewish Revolt.
In the 1950s U.S. Customs refused the cup entry and a number of museums (including the British Museum) refused to buy it, thinking that they would never persuade the museum's trustees who were chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
The cup was acquired by its present owner, the British Museum
, in 1999 for £1.8 million (including Heritage Lottery Fund
, National Art Collections Fund
and The British Museum Friends
contributions) to prevent its going abroad. This was, at that time, the most expensive single item ever acquired by The British Museum, and many times the price at which it had been offered to them in the 1950s.
It was the subject of a devoted exhibition in Room 3 at the Museum from 11 May to 2 July 2006, entitled "The Warren Cup: Sex and society in ancient Greece and Rome." Curator Dyfri Williams said of the exhibition:
From 1 December 2006 to 21 January 2007 it was exhibited at the Yorkshire Museum
, and in 2010 in Nottingham
The Warren Cup is the 36th object in A History of the World in 100 Objects
, a BBC Radio 4
series first broadcast in 2010.
, perhaps commissioned by the amateur archaeologist and dealer Fausto Benedetti (1874–1931), to meet what he knew to be the taste of his foreign client and friend Edward Perry Warren. Benedetti may have worked in collaboration with the Castellani brothers
of Rome, who were leading goldsmiths in classical styles, and collectors and dealers in antiquities
. M.T. Marabini Moevs, the author, claims that the images on the cup derive from fragments of several scenes on Greek and Roman ceramics, some in the Castellani collection, which were combined and modified to create the scenes on the Warren cup. The article also contains an appendix by silversmith Claudio Franchi corroborating the historical, iconographic and stylistic analysis.
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
drinking cup decorated in relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
with two images of homosexual
Homosexuality in Ancient Rome
Same-sex attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome often differ markedly from those of the contemporary West. Latin lacks words that would precisely translate "homosexual" and "heterosexual." The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and...
acts. The cup is named after its first modern owner, the collector and writer Edward Perry Warren
Edward Perry Warren
Edward Perry Warren , known as Ned Warren, was an American art collector and the author of works proposing an idealized view of homosexual relationships.-Biography:...
, and was acquired by the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in 1999. It is usually dated to the time of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
Julio-Claudian Dynasty
The Julio-Claudian dynasty normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula , Claudius, and Nero, or the family to which they belonged; they ruled the Roman Empire from its formation, in the second half of the 1st century BC, until AD 68, when the last of the line,...
(1st century AD), but doubts have been raised about its authenticity.
Manufacture
Scholarly consensus has long held that the cup was probably commissioned from Greek craftsmen in 1–20 AD (or the first century AD in general) by a Roman client, perhaps during the reign of NeroNero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
. It was made in five sections: the main bowl, which was hammered thin from inside and subsequently finished off from the outside to produce the figures in relief; a separate plain inner liner bowl of thicker sheet silver with a solid rim, to make the cup easier to use and to clean; a base in solid silver; a cast foot soldered to the base' and two handles. The cup shows signs of having been used over an extensive period; the handles are missing, and the gilding that may have been applied to certain features has been lost. Otherwise it is in an excellent state of preservation.
Imagery
Representations of sexual acts are widely found in Roman artRoman art
Roman art has the visual arts made in Ancient Rome, and in the territories of the Roman Empire. Major forms of Roman art are architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work...
, although in contrast to Greek art, male-female scenes greatly outnumber same-sex couples. Illustrated drinking cups, often in pairs, were intended as dinner-party conversation piece
Conversation piece
Conversation piece is a term for an informal group portrait, especially those painted in Britain in the 18th century, beginning in the 1720s. They are distinguished by their portrayal of the group apparently engaged in genteel conversation or some activity, very often outdoors...
s.
One side of the Warren Cup depicts a mature bearded man (the active participant or in Greek terms the erastes) engaging in anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
with a young man (the eromenos, "beloved"), who lowers himself onto the erastes using a rope or support from the ceiling in roughly the modern sexual position of reverse cowgirl. Meanwhile a boy, perhaps a slave
Slavery in ancient Rome
The institution of slavery in ancient Rome played an important role in society and the Roman economy. Besides manual labor on farms and in mines, slaves performed many domestic services and a variety of other tasks, such as accounting...
, watches surreptitiously from behind a door — the inferior status of a slave in Roman eyes would make him suitable to this role of voyeur
Voyeurism
In clinical psychology, voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature....
.
The other side depicts a younger adult male holding a boy for intercourse. The boy's hairstyle is typical of the puer delicatus, a slave-boy chosen for his good looks to serve as his master's favorite. The adult wears a wreath, perhaps indicating his role as "erotic conquerer." Roman same-sex practice differed from that of the Greeks, among whom pederasty
Pederasty in ancient Greece
Pederasty in ancient Greece was a socially acknowledged relationship between an adult and a younger male usually in his teens. It was characteristic of the Archaic and Classical periods...
was a socially acknowledged relationship between freeborn males of equal social status. Roman men, however, were free to engage in same-sex relations without a perceived loss of masculinity only as long as they took the penetrative role and their partner was a social inferior such as a slave or male prostitute: the paradigm of "correct" male sexuality was one of conquest and domination.
Both scenes show draped textiles in the background, as well as a kithara
Kithara
The kithara or cithara was an ancient Greek musical instrument in the lyre or lyra family. In modern Greek the word kithara has come to mean "guitar" ....
(a string instrument) in the former scene and an aulos
Aulos
An aulos or tibia was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology.An aulete was the musician who performed on an aulos...
(pipes) in the latter. These, along with the careful delineation of ages and status and the wreaths worn by the youths, all suggest a cultured, elite, Hellenized
Hellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
setting with music and entertainment.
Modern history
Warren purchased the cup from a dealer in 1911 for £2,000. It was bought in Jerusalem and said to have been found near the city in BattirBattir
Battir is an ancient town located in the West Bank, 5km west of Bethlehem, and south west of Jerusalem. It has a population of about 4,000 inhabitants. Battir sits just above the railway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which also served as the armistice line between Israel and Jordan from 1948 to 1967...
(ancient Bethther), with coins of the emperor Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
, possibly buried during the upheavals of the Jewish Revolt.
In the 1950s U.S. Customs refused the cup entry and a number of museums (including the British Museum) refused to buy it, thinking that they would never persuade the museum's trustees who were chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
The cup was acquired by its present owner, the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, in 1999 for £1.8 million (including Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, National Art Collections Fund
National Art Collections Fund
The Art Fund is an independent membership-based British charity, which raises funds to aid the acquisition of artworks for the nation. It gives grants and acts as a channel for many gifts and bequests, as well as lobbying on behalf of museums and galleries and their users...
and The British Museum Friends
The British Museum Friends
The British Museum Friends is a registered charitable organisation in the UK with close links to the British Museum, and was set up in 1968...
contributions) to prevent its going abroad. This was, at that time, the most expensive single item ever acquired by The British Museum, and many times the price at which it had been offered to them in the 1950s.
It was the subject of a devoted exhibition in Room 3 at the Museum from 11 May to 2 July 2006, entitled "The Warren Cup: Sex and society in ancient Greece and Rome." Curator Dyfri Williams said of the exhibition:
"We wanted to show this fantastic object in a context in which we could ask how much we understand about attitudes to sexuality when it was made. These objects seem extraordinary to us now, but there were many objects in common use, and wall paintings and mosaics in baths and in private houses, showing very similar imagery."
From 1 December 2006 to 21 January 2007 it was exhibited at the Yorkshire Museum
Yorkshire Museum
The Yorkshire Museum is a museum in York, England. It is the home of the Cawood sword, and has four permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology and astronomy...
, and in 2010 in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
The Warren Cup is the 36th object in A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
, a BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
series first broadcast in 2010.
Question of authenticity
In 2008, M.T. Marabini Moevs argued in an article for Bollettino d’Arte that the Warren Cup is not in fact a Roman product of the early Imperial period, but rather was executed around 1900 by a gifted silversmith trained in the contemporary Liberty styleArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
, perhaps commissioned by the amateur archaeologist and dealer Fausto Benedetti (1874–1931), to meet what he knew to be the taste of his foreign client and friend Edward Perry Warren. Benedetti may have worked in collaboration with the Castellani brothers
Fortunato Pio Castellani
Fortunato Pio Castellani was a 19th century Italian jeweller and founder of Castellani, an Italian jewellery company....
of Rome, who were leading goldsmiths in classical styles, and collectors and dealers in antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
. M.T. Marabini Moevs, the author, claims that the images on the cup derive from fragments of several scenes on Greek and Roman ceramics, some in the Castellani collection, which were combined and modified to create the scenes on the Warren cup. The article also contains an appendix by silversmith Claudio Franchi corroborating the historical, iconographic and stylistic analysis.
Further reading
(Full text)- Williams, Dyfri. 1999. "The Warren silver cup", British Museum Magazine: th-12, 35 (Autumn/Winter 1999), pp. 25–28
External links
- Warren Cup from the BBC's A History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
- Dyfri Williams research keeper at British Museum