This ivory goblet depicts a battle at a wedding. Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths in northern Greece, had invited his neighbours, the centaurs, to his wedding. The centaurs were mythical creatures – half-man, half-horse – who were notorious for their bad behaviour when they got drunk. They began to attack the bride and other guests with the intention of raping them. The groom Pirithous and his friend Theseus, the king of Athens, led the attack on the centaurs and threw them out.
If you look closely at this compact ring of figures, you’ll make out five centaurs, two warriors, a river-god with hair of leaves, and an old man about to thump a centaur with a jug. You’ll also see three beautiful Lapith women, who are clearly terrified.
This goblet is a magnificent example of ivory carving in the Baroque period. The relief was almost certainly carved in southern Germany at the beginning of the eighteenth century. It’s much older than the silver-gilt mounts, which are the creation of the Augsburg goldsmith Elias Adam.
This decorative goblet has a special significance for the Green Vault. It was the last piece acquired by August the Strong for his collection. He purchased it at the Leipzig New Year’s Fair in 1733 – shortly before his death.
- Location & Dating
- Ivory: Southern Germany, around 1700 / Mounting: Augsburg, 1730-1732
- Material & Technique
- Ivory, silver, gilt
- Dimenions
- H 47,2 cm, B 15,4 cm, T 13,2 cm; Gewicht: 2600 g
- Museum
- Grünes Gewölbe
- Inventory number
- II 19