Skyphos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skyphos |
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Emperor Tiberius's triumph. Silver skyphos with repoussé decoration, late 1st century BC–early 1st century AD. From the villa della Pisanella at Boscoreale, 1895.
Below: Attic skyphos depicting a hoplite, ca. 490-480 BC. |
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| Material | Ceramic, glass, precious metals |
| Created | Multiple cultures, originating predominantly in Greece and exported. |
| Period/culture | A vaseform of the Iron Age |
| Place | Circum-Mediterranean |
A skyphos (pronounced SKEE-fos) was a special kind of drinking cup used in ancient times. It usually had two handles and was shaped like a deep bowl. People mostly used skyphoi to drink wine. The word "skyphoi" is the plural, meaning more than one skyphos.
These cups could have different types of handles. Some had flat, ear-shaped handles that stuck out from the rim. Others had loop handles that were either right at the rim or a bit lower on the cup's body. A special type called a glaux (meaning "owl") skyphos had one flat handle and one loop handle.
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History of Skyphoi
Skyphoi were first made during the Geometric period in ancient Greece. This was a time when Greek art used many geometric shapes and patterns.
Early Designs
The city of Corinth in Greece was very important in setting the style for early skyphoi. Other cities, like Athens, often followed these styles. Over many years, the basic shape of the skyphos stayed mostly the same. However, the way they were decorated changed a lot as art styles developed.
Materials Used
Most skyphoi were made from ceramic, which is a type of pottery. But some very fancy skyphoi were made from valuable materials like silver and gold. There are still many examples of these precious metal cups today.
For example, the Warren cup is a famous silver skyphos from the Roman Empire. You can also see a Roman skyphos made of cameo glass at the Getty Museum. Cameo glass is a special type of glass with layers of different colors, carved to create a raised design.
Similar Drinking Cups
Besides the skyphos, there were other types of drinking cups used in ancient times. Some of these included:
- Cotyla: This was a more general word for any kind of cup.
- Kantharos: A cup with tall, looping handles that often went above the rim.
- Kylix: A wide, shallow drinking cup, often used for wine.
Skyphoi in Modern Science
The word skyphos has also been used in science to name certain animals and plants.
Jellyfish and Fungi
For example, a group of jellyfish are called Scyphozoa. This name literally means "cup-shaped animal," because many jellyfish have a bell or cup-like shape.
Another example is a type of fungus called Sarcoscypha, which is known as the scarlet cup fungus. It gets its name because it looks like a small, bright red cup.
