The silver mesomphalos calyx cup of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki from Northern Pieria connects Macedonia with the distant Achaemenid Empire.

It has a hemispherical body, a hollow neck, and an outward-flaring lip. At the height of the shoulder, it features an egg-and-dart pattern and guilloche framed by two rows of small circles. The base is decorated with a ten-petalled rosette and the inside bottom with a relief protome of a Satyr wearing a panther skin and a laurel wreath. Traces of gilding can be seen on the hair, wreath, and panther skin, as well as on the shoulder decoration of the vessel.

 This type of vessel, used as a cup for wine at banquets, is believed to have been invented at the Persian court, where between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, metalworkers created a distinctive style, built on the traditions of the varied cultures of this huge empire. The artisans of Macedonia came into contact and were influenced by the art of the Achaemenids before the campaign of Alexander the Great, as evidenced by the production of these vessels, which became widespread in Macedonia, especially during the last quarter of the 4th century BC.

This specific vessel was found in grave No 2, in a low burial mound (Pappa tumulus) in Sevasti of Northern Pieria, during a rescue excavation. The tumulus covered three burials, of which grave No 2 was the last to be constructed and had the form of a cist-grave, adorned with painted decoration. Inside a bronze calyx-krater, the remains from the cremation of the deceased were found, along with remnants of a gold wreath, an iron pin, and a silver drachm of Alexander III. Above the cremated remains, a gilded bronze wreath had been placed. Fragments of gold and gilded wreaths, jewelry, strigils, pottery, and whatever else had survived from the cremation offerings had been scattered over the covering slabs of the grave. Among the offerings are a significant number of symposium vessels and iron weapons, which suggest that the burial was male.

Precious vessels of the kind testify the luxury of the banquets of the Macedonian elite, events that held a significant place in the social and religious life of ancient Macedonians. Elaborate silver calyx cups like the one from the Sevasti grave were used to serve wine and to pour libations in honor of the gods. After death, they accompanied their owner to the grave, as evidence of their high status.

The calyx cup from Sevasti was probably made in a local workshop, possibly in Pydna, and is dated around 330 BC. Its exceptional quality indicates the high level of craftsmanship in Macedonia and the ability to creatively adapt foreign models to local taste and market demand.

You can see the silver calyx cup (ΜΔ 2548) in the permanent exhibition 'The Gold of Macedon', showcase 26.