Object ID
1995.38.2.E
Object Name
Eggcup
Material
Straw; Wood
Object Description
One of a set of five egg cups. Cup is monoxylous (made of a single piece of wood) and varnished. Design around the cup, neck, and base is painted black and covered in a geometric design made with cut pieces of straw.  Design elements include the Greek Key and other classic elements commonly seen in Greek black figure style of pottery. The outer base and lower part of the cup are carved in scalloped pattern. The interior of the cup is smooth with no design.
Origin
Egg cups have been around since prehistoric times, with some of the earliest occurrences on Minoan Crete. In particular, archaeological recovery at the Bronze Age palace of Cretan Knossos reveals the presence of egg cup use as early as the 18th century BC and an early silver egg cup from 74 BC was found in the ruins of Pompeii.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Eggcup, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/6559. Accessed 03/28/24.