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 cup, which belonged to a famous collection of the 19th century, was mold-blown in a transparent glass with an originally bluish tinge.
Used as tableware, these small cups served as drinking vessels but would have also been intended to contain various substances: sauces, spices, other condiments, etc. Produced mainly between the early Flavian period and the early 2nd century A.D., they exist in different versions that vary in the color, in the type of glass, or in details of the shape (shape of the lip, more or less rounded body, etc.).
In the Near Eastern world, stone vases were considered luxury goods and belonged to high-ranking individuals or to the treasures of sanctuaries: they were used to store valuable materials (ointments, liquids for female toiletry for instance; but also wheat, oils, etc., given the size of the vessel), as ritual vessels for religious cults, as grave goods.
