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The Cup of the Ptolemies (French: ''Coupe des Ptolémées'') is an onyx cameo two-handled cup, or ''kantharos''. The cup, decorated with Dionysiac vignettes and emblems, was carved at some point in Classical Antiquity, probably in Alexandria. Eventually, it found its way into the treasury of the French kingdom, before it was donated to the abbey of St. Denis. During the Middle Ages, it was used as a Christian chalice, and lavish mounts were added, with Latin inscriptions. In 1804, the cup was stolen, and the mounts were lost, although the cup itself was recovered. It is now in the Cabinet des Médailles at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. ==Description== The two-handled cameo cup, one of the acknowledged masterpieces among hardstone carvings of classical antiquity, was carved out of onyx and measures 8.4 cm high with a diameter of 12.5 cm.〔 The cup is covered in Dionysiac vignettes and emblems, depicting masks, vases, holy animals, and garland: symbols of the cult itself.〔 On the upper-left side of what is today considered the back of the vessel, the mask of young Pan can be seen in the tree.〔 Below, a goat is reaching for ripened grapes.〔〔 Behind the goat lies fruit and a table, most likely an ''anclabris'' with five ceremonial vessels on top. On the left side of the table stands a small female figure, whose lit torches represent the festivities and the orgies associated with the cult's rites. Frédéric de Clarac argued that the statues could very well symbolize either Telete or Ceres, two deities often associated with Dionysus. Above the table is a tapestry and two bacchante masks. To the right, in an apple tree, another mask of Pan can be seen. Two more bacchante masks are present on the bottom, in front of the table.〔 The reverse side is extremely similar to the other, showing six masks surrounding a ''anclabris'', although there are a few major differences. The ''anclabris'' is depicted as if it were made out of marble, and two sphinxes—beings that serve as allegories for the secrets and mysteries of the Dionysian cult—are supporting the table. On the ''anclabris'' stands a small statue of Hermes, next to which hangs a mask with pipes. Above this mask may very well be the raven of Apollo.〔 On the left side of the table, a goat is seen resting on the ground, surrounded by the symbols of the cult. Finally, a wicker basket can be found to the right of the table, out of which a snake emerges; this basket motif is often found in Dionysian artwork, and seemingly was an object of great importance to the religion. It seems that the vessel's pagan origins were overlooked when it was converted into a Christian chalice during the Middle Ages. Classicist Erika Zwierlein-Diehl noted that many descriptions of the cup omitted the Dionysiac nature of the carvings and images, merely noting the general presence of trees, heads, and animals. This (possibly purposeful) loss of iconographic understanding, also referred to as "un-naming", seems to have been a way for pagan artifacts to be reused for Christian purposes; the Cup of the Ptolemies is therefore an example of ''interpretatio christiana'', or the adaptation of non-Christian elements of culture or historical facts to the worldview of Christianity. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cup of the Ptolemies」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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