This cup is impressive, particularly because of the thickness of its walls and its weight. The vessel, made of copper cast in a mould, has no handles: its profile is truncated conical and very linear. It rests on a small, solid triangular foot.
The decoration, in very shallow relief, covers the entire available surface. Three bulls, recognisable by the shape of their horns, stand facing to the right of the viewer.
This small, beautiful object is composed of two elements: a parallelepiped that serves as a base for two statuettes of young bulls, whose bodies are merged together and placed head to toe. The animals are seated on the floor, their legs folded under their bodies. In spite of the stylization of the figurines, partly related to their miniature size, the artist skillfully rendered the proportions, the position and anatomy of the bulls. The delicate expression of their muzzle and their somewhat thick appearance certainly tend to imitate the naivety and clumsiness of a young animal.
Greek terracotta figure showing the myth of Europe
Greek terracotta figure showing the myth of Europe
The group comprises two figures: with natural grace, a young woman rides astride a bull that is galloping rapidly towards the viewer’s right. Indeed, the young woman is Europa (the mythological figure after whom our continent is named), who was one of the three daughters of the King of Tyre (a major Phoenician coastal city). She was abducted by Zeus on the beach where she was playing with her sisters: the god appeared to her in the form of a magnificent white bull and carried her, riding the waves of the sea, all the way to Crete.
The bowl is perfectly turned. The ceramic is beige, but the surface is entirely covered with colored paint. The element that makes this piece a very special, perhaps unique object, is certainly the statuette of the quadruped.
