The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 3, 2023

Ewer (Pitcher) with Game, Seafood, and Wine Scenes

late AD 300s

Byzantium, Syria?, early Byzantine period, late 4th century

Silver with traces of gilding

Overall: 40 x 14.3 cm (15 3/4 x 5 5/8 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with the addition of a gift from Mrs. Edward B. Greene 1957.497

Location

104 Late Antiquity

Description

This magnificent pitcher, called a ewer, was almost certainly meant for serving wine in the dining room of a wealthy home. On its surface are images in three bands representing the expected bounty of the hunt. Deer pursued by a lioness and hares chased by dogs appear in the top band, signifying the wealth of game the owner hoped to have on the family table. In the lowest band are edible sea creatures, while the center features the merry followers of the Roman wine god Bacchus (Dionysos in Greek).

Provenance
(Mrs. Paul Mallon, New York).
Citations
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 37 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 37 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 38 archive.org
Hobbs, Richard. The Mildenhall Treasure: Late Roman Silver Plate from East Anglia. London: The British Museum, 2016. Reproduced: p. 41, pl. 52
Thomas, Thelma K. "Material Meaning in Late Antiquity." In Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity. Thelma K. Thomas, ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016. Reproduced: p. 39, fig. 1-1.23
Exhibition history

The Cleveland Museum of Art (3/18/01-6/3/01); "Antioch: The Lost Ancient City", not in exhibition catalogue.

Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, NY (2/25/2016 - 5/22/2016): "Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity" fig. 1-1.23, p. 39. checklist no. 7,

All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).

Antioch: The Lost Ancient City. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 25-June 3, 2001).

Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity. Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, NY, New York, NY (February 25-May 22, 2016).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1957.497