Pair of electrum handles from a kantharos (drinking cup with two high vertical handles)
These handles are made from sheets of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. The edges were folded under to enclose bronze wires, a technique often used in Mycenaean metalwork. The shape of the handles indicates that the complete vessel was a kantharos, similar to the gold example on display nearby. Fragments of the vase’s rim indicate that the body was made of silver and the pieces were secured using gold rivets.
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