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TOP PIECE!
 
This beautiful and unusual Rhyton or Stirrup cup, is one unlike I have seen before given the shape of the bowl and the little spout. This rhyton in the form of a Hound’s head has, semi-gloss to matte finish with reflective qualities similar to metal. The finish of the piece may intentionally imitate the appearance of tarnished silver but we believe it is Pewter or Silver plated, it also has a maker’s mark that we cannot identify. The relief details of the dog’s head and grape vines on the inside of the piece are tributes to Dionysus, the god of wine. It also stands firmly on its head.
 
The piece measures: 4.00 inches high and has a diameter of 4.00 inches. It is in excellent antique condition.
 
A RHYTON: is a horn-shaped drinking cup that originates in the Near East, but was appropriated by the Greeks, often with figural additions. This type of vessel was produced both in precious metals (gold, silver, and less frequently, bronze , pewter) for elite patrons and in ceramic and wood and other materials which was not as expensive and thus available to a wider audience. The main function of the rhyton was to pour wine during sacrificial libations or to serve as a drinking vessel at symposiums. A STIRRUP CUP is: a "parting cup" given to guests, especially when they are leaving and have their feet in the stirrups. It is also the traditional drink (usually port or sherry) served at the meet, prior to a traditional foxhunt. The term can describe the cup that such a drink is served in. In Scots the host may well, in inviting his guest to stay briefly for that farewell drink, call it a "dochan doruis" (from Scottish Gaelic deoch an dorais [tʲɔx ən̪ˠ t̪ɔɾɪʃ], literally "drink of the door").