Object: Kantharos

C/1958/1/5
Replica, Kantharos with wreaths, fillets, thyrsi
Hildesheim Germany
Roman
ca. 100 CE
Materials: silver

This object is a replica of a silver kantharos found in Germany in 1868. The original was a part of a large treasure of about 50 silver pieces found by Prussian soldiers in Hildesheim, Germany. Now known as the Hildesheim Treasure, there are numerous replicas in museums. The reason such a large amount of Roman silver was buried outside of Roman territory is unclear. Many scholars have attributed the objects to a Roman general who may have buried the treasure to keep it safe. Also, dating the pieces is difficult but many are thought to date back to the 1st century C.E.

Named for its shape, the kantharos has two handles on each side. The design on the piece depicts Dionysus, who was the Greek god of wine. The design also incorporates masks, grapevines, and lion decorations, typical of items associated the cult of Dionysus. Before World War II, the original pieces of silver are in Berlin. Replicas such as this one allow students and scholars to study pieces of art that are located in far away places or no longer exist.

[Brittany Teel]

Object: Replica of Roman bowl

C/58-9/1/1
Replica of Roman bowl
20th century
Materials: Silver

In 1958 this silver bowl was brought to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, then called the Stovall Museum. The bowl was purchased, along with other objects, from the Chicago Natural History Museum, now called the Field Museum. The bowl is a replica of a part of the Hildesheim Treasure found in Hildesheim, Germany.

The Hildesheim Treasure was an extremely large collection of some 50 pieces of Roman silver found in 1868. The Hildesheim Treasure is believed to date back to the early 1st century C.E. but no accurate date can be given. The Hildesheim Treasure was discovered when Prussian soldiers in Germany were digging a hole and came across the treasure packed carefully in a chest. It is believed that the Hildesheim Treasure originally belonged to a traveling Roman general in Germany who buried the treasure so it would not be found by the German tribes. It is possible that not all the pieces of the Hildesheim Treasure are Roman since many scholars consider some artifacts to be Greek. The original Hildesheim Treasure is held in Berlin but reproductions of the Hildesheim Treasure have been manufactured and placed in museums all over the world.

This bowl, currently housed in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History is a replica of one of the most famous piece from the Hildesheim treasure collection. The image on the bowl is of Minerva, shown in high relief, draped in gold with an owl (usually associated with her) on the left; she is gazing to the right. Minerva was the Roman equivalent to the Greek goddess of war and wisdom, Athena.

Reproductions are an important part of collections because they allow experts from around the world to study the objects without the originals being damaged. Replicas also allow researchers to study concurrently without having to transport the originals all over the world. [Susan Lemmond]