Archaeological site Stevensweert - The Stevensweert Cantharus

In 1943 Jaak Bongers from Stevensweert was dredging gravel from the Meuse river when he discovered this rare and unblemished silver wine cup.

We are back in the first century CE, when the Romans were here in the Low Countries. A high-ranking Roman probably drank wine from this cup. Scientists believe it was made in Alexandria. It is decorated with images from Greek mythology, including the forest god Pan and Bacchus the god of wine. Six figures in total were originally depicted, of which four have been preserved. Alongside the figures are representations of implements such as instruments and weapons. All the figures are extremely detailed and executed with great craftsmanship. Originally the cup had two handles, but these did not survive the ravages of time.
Th smooth interior of the cup was made to hold wine, the lavishly decorated exterior was for show. The inscriptions under the foot provide additional information: the Latin name Marcus Titinus – apparently the previous owner – has been thoroughly crossed out. The cup’s Latin and Greek weight is indicated as 1160 grams. In its current state (without the handles) the cantharus weighs 440 grams. Which is why the cup is almost certain to have been part of a set of two.
In the Stevensweert Musuem you can see the silver replica. This was donated to the museum on its 25th anniversary in 2008. You can also view a presentation showing how this meticulously produced replica was made. It consists of about 95% silver and approximately 1% gold.
The Stevensweert Cantharus is also famous for a different reason!
Legal wrangling about the clandestine sale of this extremely valuable cup, led to what is known as “the error ruling” (arrest van dwaling) in Dutch law. The selling party – the Van der Lindens – took the purchasing party – Brom – to court. The numerous court cases that followed dragged on from December 1955 to June 1959, ending with a ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court. The cantharus, which was an undisputed masterpiece, was originally sold for the equivalent of 60 euros in today’s money.

Download the app

If you’d like to find out more about the Stevensweert Cantharus and the Eiland in de Maas fortress, visit the Stevensweert / Ohé en Laak regional museum in Stevensweert. If you prefer to find information online, please visit www.museumstevensweert.nl