cup cup french des cameo handled cup cup decorated carved point probably alexandria eventually found way treasury french kingdom donated abbey middle ages christian lavish mounts added latin inscriptions cup stolen mounts lost cup recovered cabinet des paris description handled cameo cup acknowledged carvings classical antiquity carved measures high diameter cup covered depicting masks holy animals symbols cult upper left today considered vessel mask young pan seen tree goat reaching goat lies fruit table likely ceremonial vessels left table stands small female figure lit represent festivities associated cult rites argued statues symbolize deities associated table masks right apple tree mask pan seen masks present table reverse extremely similar showing masks surrounding major differences depicted marble beings serve secrets mysteries cult supporting table stands small statue hangs mask pipes mask raven apollo left table goat seen resting ground surrounded symbols cult finally basket found right table snake emerges basket motif found artwork seemingly object great importance religion vessel pagan origins overlooked converted christian middle ages noted descriptions cup omitted nature carvings images merely noting general presence trees heads animals possibly loss understanding referred naming way pagan artifacts reused christian purposes cup example adaptation non christian elements culture historical facts christianity history cup probably alexandria egypt thought date period regarded dating 1st century supposed connection dates description historian argued funeral ruled kingdom egypt argued cup egypt general time range stretching particular evidence scholars suggest cup carved later second centuries romans dating cup problematic largely similar pieces rare making comparison difficult exact history cup largely unknown conway suggests cup probably belonged passed french kings eventually donated abbey cup occasionally communion wine figured coronation french monarch according quoted conway queens took holy communion cup estimated worth gem gold valued september formed treasury stolen later recovered mounts thieves caught holland cup cabinet des paris mount period base shape truncated cone constructed vessel appear like traditional cup partially covered work later 12th century served probably embellished adding widens mounts gold gem cup recovered 19th century missing mounts probably melted precious materials today mounts known added line latin inscription mount known reads hoc english legend means french throne consecrated vessel christ faithful mind scholars agree inscription links ruled think refers ruled ruled suggestions unlikely
Cup of the Ptolemies