We finally know how this 1,600-year-old Roman cup was made
What's the story
Scientists from the University of Sheffield have successfully replicated the optical behavior of an ancient Roman glass artifact, known as the Lycurgus Cup. The 1,600-year-old masterpiece is currently housed in the British Museum and is famous for its ability to change colors depending on light source position. Under normal lighting conditions, it appears jade green but turns ruby red when illuminated from behind.
Replication process
'A labor of love'
The team from University of Sheffield replicated the Lycurgus Cup's optical behavior using an ancient recipe derived from a fragment of the Roman "dichroic" (two-colored) original.
Dr. Lisa Hollands, a technician at the university's School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, called the replication process "a labor of love."
She said that while others have tried replicating it before with limited success, her team's achievement was nothing short of magic.
Artifact details
One of the seven glass wonders of the world
The fourth-century original of the Lycurgus Cup features a mythological frieze depicting the legend of King Lycurgus from Homer's Iliad.
The scene shows the triumph of Dionysus, the god of wine, over Lycurgus, who is ensnared by a vine.
In 2022, an international panel recognized it as one of the seven glass wonders of the world.
Nanoparticle embedding
How was it replicated?
Hollands worked with Professor Caroline Jackson, a leading Roman glass expert, to conduct initial research on the Lycurgus Cup.
The next challenge was embedding gold and silver nanoparticles, each a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand, into the glass.
A thick molten glass was created and as it cooled from well over 1,000 degree Celsius, these nanocrystals started to grow around particles within it.
Color manipulation
Understanding the science behind it
Hollands explained that white light is made up of many different colors, which can be seen in a rainbow.
Nanoparticles are much smaller than these wavelengths and can block certain colors under certain conditions.
In the case of this glass, gold and silver particles block blue and green light while allowing reds and oranges to pass through.
This property was key to replicating the optical behavior of the Lycurgus Cup.
Artistic tribute
Elliot Walker made the new sculpture
Sheffield commissioned Elliot Walker, a glass artist, to create a contemporary glass sculpture inspired by the Lycurgus Cup.
The sculpture combines elements of the Lycurgus story with those of the Farnese Atlas sculpture, replacing its globe with a cup.
It will be showcased at the Millennium Gallery as part of the university's Festival of the Mind from November 6-15. Afterward, it will be permanently displayed at the Turner Museum of Glass.