Restored. The seventy fragments of the cup include most of the bowl and both wishbone handles, but only one of the handle knobs. Neither the stem nor foot was preserved. The restoration, conducted in 1980 and 1981, replaces all missing parts based on similar merrythought cups.

Side A: a battle scene, composed of five warriors (1--5) attacking from the left and two (6 and 7) from the right. In front of this battle line lies a fallen warrior (9), who is supported at head and foot by a crouching warrior (8 and 10). At the far right a separate battle takes place between two men who are naked (11 and 12), but who carry arms and wear helmets; that of the warrior at the far right (12) is unusual in its decoration of ox horns and ears. All other warriors have low-crested Corinthian helmets which are adorned with white dots down the nose guard and on the forehead, crest holder, and cheek-piece. Most of the helmets are purple; three are black. The crests are in black, purple, or purple and white; one has incised striations. Three of the round shield devices are visible: at the center (6), a bull's head; on the shield second from left (2), a partially seen bull's head; and on the shield of the crouching warrior at the right (10), a twelve-petalled rosette. The other shields, of which the inner sides are shown, have white armbands against purple backgrounds. Two of the men wear white corselets (one with an incised V design at the neck), which may be intended to represent leather corselets, with flaps at the bottom; others wear short chitons, some decorated with white dots at the borders, one with black stripes on the purple, and one with a white-dotted tuck at the bottom edge.

Side B: the Calydonian boar hunt is shown, with two hunters attacking from the left and two from the right, with Atalanta between the latter. The black boar in the center is also attacked by a white dog which has leapt upon its back. A spear has already been plunged in its haunches, as shown by a purple spot of blood. The hunters carry spears, except the one at the far right who holds a trident, part of which is preserved above Atalanta's head. Each wears a white-dotted baldric with a sword and carries a chlamys over the left arm. Atalanta is running forward, as seen by her preserved head, left shoulder, and foot. She wears a purple three-dotted earring, fillet, and sleeve, and a black skirt with a double-line border. An inscription below the rim reads:

ΧΑΙΡΕΚΑΙΠ[ΙΕ                    Η]ΥΣ 

”Drink and be merry” “Boar”

Below the figured scenes is a ribbon pattern reserved on a black band, which is framed by three concentric lines at top and bottom; rays spread up from the base. Under each handle is a man walking right, with his hand raised in greeting, and wearing a tunic and embroidered chlamys.

Purple is used for the flat top of the rim, the upper edge of the handle straps, and the top surface of the handle knobs. The handle straps are decorated on the outside with four panels which are separated by vertical lines and zigzags. The panels consist of alternating stars and chevrons.

Interior: the tondo shows a running nude male, with only buttock and legs preserved. He was carrying something such as a sword or wineskin, indicated by a small purple spot to his right. An inscription encircling him has the letters ΙΝΟ[ at his left, and nine letters at the right, which probably represent a garbled ΕΠΟΙΕΣΕΝ. Within the reserved area of the tondo, and surrounding the figure, are two sets of four black concentric circles with alternating purple and black tongues and tiny white dots between the tips. Four thin red lines encircling the tondo contrast with the purple used on this cup.

By the Painter of the Sardis Merrythought Cup, whose style resembles that of the Painter of the Boston Polyphemus (D. von Bothmer, personal communication). Joan Haldenstein puts the piece closer to the Painter of the Boston C.A. and places it in the Phrynos workshop.

This cup is the most spectacular piece of Attic pottery found at Sardis and is representative of the high quality of imports around the middle of the sixth century. It is one of only nine Attic pieces from the Acropolis.