Drinking Cup
Unknown Artist
ca. 1900–1550 B.C.
Medium
Polished black ware with decoration filled with white pigment
Dimensions
h. 9 cm (3 9/16 in); diam. 14 cm (5 1/2 in)
Classification
Cup, geometric decoration
Period
C-Group
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1913
Accession Number
13.125.27
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of ancient Nubia with this elegant *Drinking Cup* from the C-Group period (ca. 1900–1550 B.C.), a vibrant culture that flourished along the Nile in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Created by an unknown artisan, this small vessel—standing just 9 cm tall and 14 cm wide—was likely used in daily rituals or communal feasting, bridging the gap between everyday life and cultural expression. The C-Group people, influenced by their Egyptian neighbors yet distinctly Nubian, produced ceramics that highlight their role as key traders and intermediaries in the Nile Valley...