Vapheio Cup with Untamed Bulls 14,5 cm

This replica is inspired by the famed Vapheio Cups discovered in a tholos tomb at Vapheio near Sparta, in Laconia, Greece. Dating to the Late Helladic IIA period (c. 1500–1450 BCE), the original cups are masterpieces of Aegean Bronze Age artistry. Though found in mainland Greece, scholars believe they were crafted by highly skilled Minoan artisans from Crete, reflecting the cultural exchange between the Minoan and emerging Mycenaean worlds.

The cups are celebrated for their dynamic repoussé scenes depicting the capture of wild bulls—imagery symbolizing strength, ritual, and elite status. One of the original cups is preserved today in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. These vessels were likely ceremonial drinking cups used by nobility, embodying power, prestige, and mythic storytelling. This replica captures the spirit of that ancient craftsmanship, bringing the drama and refinement of Bronze Age Greece into the modern collection