19th Century Gilt Bronze Renaissance Style Cup

19th century gilt bronze Renaissance style cup. Stamped with the foundry mark A. 

This gilt bronze cup, although dating from the 19th century, is very similar to Renaissance-era cups that adorned palaces and can now be found in major museums. At the center of the cup is the head of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of Love.

Aphrodite is one of the three goddesses whose quarrel led to the beginning of the Trojan War. The Romans identified Aphrodite with their own Venus from Roman mythology. Aphrodite has been depicted in Western art as a symbol of feminine beauty and has appeared in numerous artistic works from the Renaissance to the present day. She is also known as the goddess who gave the Sirens their wings and bird legs while keeping their young female faces, because they refused to give their virginity to either a god or a mortal (whereas the goddesses of Norse mythology are half-woman, half-fish, those of Greek mythology are half-woman, half-bird).

Three Greek Sirens are also represented on the base of the cup. It is also important to note the remarkable quality of the chasing work on this cup, with its exceptionally fine details.