WHAT IS THE WARREN CUP?

The Warren Cup is a Roman silver drinking vessel known as a skyphos. It was made, to an extremely high standard, in the year 10. When produced the cup would have been worth almost an acre of land or one average slave. It was indeed a high-value item and undoubtedly produced for an elite member of Roman society, but it would not have cost anywhere near the equivalent of £1.8 million ($2.7 million USD) in 1999. 

But that is exactly what the British Museum paid for the Warren Cup in 1999. Today the cup is said to be worth more than £2.5 million ($3.5 million USD). For some reason, it has increased in value more than any other silverware made and used in the Roman Empire. Certainly, this increase in value has nothing to do with its condition.

In fact, the Warren Cup is in very poor condition. It is missing its handles, and the gold gilding has worn off in various places. Furthermore, it had not been kept well, as the cup shows signs of overuse. The condition of the Warren Cup has nothing to do with its inflated value.

The reason the Warren Cup is so valuable is actually shocking and makes it a controversial item. It is the subject matter of its decoration. This is also the reason the Warren Cup has had such a controversial history since it was bought by Edward Perry Warren (hence its name) in 1911. The cup was actually denied entry into the United States in the 1950s because a customs official found it to be extremely offensive.

It should not be denied or understated; the subject matter of the Warren Cup is paedophilia. It depicts sexual relations between adult men and adolescent boys. Given the controversial nature of the depiction, what possible reason did the British Museum have for spending £1.8 million on it?  What was the reasoning behind the British Museum then spending more on the Warren Cup than they had ever paid for any single exhibit?

The reason is wrapped up in history-speak. The Warren Cup is worthy of its price tag because it is an example of how the Romans corrupted the art of the Ancient Greek civilization when Greece was made part of the Roman Republic and Empire. The Romans took a scene which is widely depicted on Greek vases and made it serve their own purposes. In the case of the Warren Cup this Romanization process is akin to the difference between soft (Ancient Greece) and hardcore (Roman) pornography. 

The Warren Cup might be a sad reflection of the gross nature of some parts of human society in ancient times. The cup might show that child abuse is not only a modern problem. But was it worth £1.8 million?

 Image from Wikipedia Commons

Comment

When the British Museum bought the Warren Cup, it was the most expensive item it had ever purchased. Although the item shines light onto the ways of the Roman ruling class and possibly all ruling classes, we, like many, believe that the money was misspent. If you agree or disagree you can make a comment below. To comment, you must first be a member of the international Xomba community. Xomba is free to join and to participate in. CLICK HERE to join or to find out more.