Graeco-Roman Beaker with Scenes from the Trojan Cycle. 1st century BC-1st century AD. A large Samian ware beaker in light brown clay with moulded relief decoration in the Barbotine technique, globular body resting upon a flat pedestal foot; the decoration framed by grooves in the upper two thirds of the body of the vessel, depicting scenes of the Trojan cycle: from left to right, the scene of the sacrifice before the duel between Menelaus and Paris; the characters individuated with their names in Greek, i.e. King Priam of Troy (???????) and Odysseus (????????) in the act of celebrating the rite (?????) referred to the victims of the oath-sacrifice; Priam, with a staff in hand, raising the right arm; Odysseus wearing a pilos cap and holding a patera, at his right side the King of the Greeks, Agamemnon (?????????) raising a sword in his right hand; following the scene of the duel between Menelaus (????????) and Paris, with the Greek hero dragging Paris by the crest of the helmet, and the Trojan prince saved only by the intervention of the goddess Aphrodite, visible in the upper left part of the scene, while a warrior with a spear and shield (Hector?) observes the combat from the left, and three other Greek leaders, a naked hero with Diomedes (????????) and Ajax (????) in Hoplitic armour, observing the scene of Odysseus beating the rebel Thersites (????????) with the sceptre, while Diomedes is enjoying the spectacle, fully armoured, head covered by a high-crested helmet; the bottom of the cup decorated with a wide floral decoration, surrounded by two rows of geometric patterns and dots; the border decorated with dolphins alternating with rosettes, framed by a line of dots.A nearly identically decorated beaker is preserved in the collections of the British Museum, see Walters, H.B., Catalogue of the Roman pottery in the departments of Antiquities, British Museum, London, 1905, ii, pl.68, fig.3, for a cup decorated with dolphins and representation of Aphrodite (museum no.1866,1203.81); see also Bulmer, M., An introduction to Roman Samian Ware, Denbigh, 1980.211 grams, 13.7cm (5 1/2"). From an important London W1, gallery; previously acquired 1970s-1980s; accompanied by positive Kotalla Laboratory thermoluminescence report No.09CM180321; and an archaeological report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10629-174282.The form and style of this cup identifies it as a product of one of the principal Italic terra-sigillata workshops, producers of the most popular and luxurious Roman tableware in all the provinces, including Britannia. The Trojan cycle, connected with the celebration of the goddess Venus or Aphrodite, progenitor of the Gens Iulia, was the preferred theme of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and can also be found in early Romano-British products of the age of Claudius, under whose Empire this splendid beaker was probably realised. A video of this lot is available to view at TimeLine Auctions website.