The Warren Cup
Room 70 · love between men, in silver
The British Museum holds one of the most remarkable objects in the queer history of ancient Rome: the Warren Cup, in the Gallery of the Roman world. Made in silver around 5–15 AD, it depicts two scenes of male love-making with extraordinary frankness and tenderness. Found in Syria, it was acquired by the Museum in 1999 for £1.8 million – then the most expensive object it had ever bought.
Nearby, the Museum’s collection preserves the memory of the “Secretum,” where sexually explicit objects were locked away from public view until 1865. The cup was made at the height of Roman power, when love between men was accepted – and later hidden by Victorian curators who could not believe it was possible. It shows what was always true: love between men is not new. It is ancient.