Buccellati Boscoreale Modiolus Sterling Silver Cup

This stunning piece is inspired by the Ancient Roman settlement of Boscoreale, excavated in 1895 on the steppes of Mount Vesuvius. Among the treasures discovered stashed in a wine tank prior to the eruption in AD 79 were a pair of two gilded silver cups reminiscent of a modius, a container used to measure wheat. Each cup features scenes of skeletons in high relief, satirizing human life and philosophy. Details include two prominent Hellenistic philosophers, Epicurus and Zeno, as skeletons debating, and inscriptions such as ‘the goal of life is pleasure’ and ‘enjoy life while you can, for tomorrow is uncertain.’ The use of skeletons is a reminder to enjoy the present. The finest silversmiths at Buccellati transformed these historic cups into a single masterpiece vessel handcrafted of sterling silver and lined with gold. Handmade in Italy.

Measures 4⅞” diameter x 3¾” h.