Colorless glass; cast or blown, wheel-cut, with copper alloy attachments. Hemispherical body; outsplayed rim with ground lip and raised molding at its neck. Decorated with openwork band at base of neck and openwork cage enclosing body; band consists of ovolo frieze with fifty-nine egg-shaped perforations separated by darts; cage consists of central mesh surrounded by two rings of meshes and concentric border; central mesh, evidently circular, was attached to body by seven bridges; inner ring has seven heart-shaped meshes, outer ring has fourteen oval meshes; in both rings, small cruciform element at junction of each pair of meshes conceals bridge; serrated bar at upper end of each heart-shaped mesh also conceals bridge, as does V-shaped element at upper extremity of each oval mesh, where it meets border; around border, between each pair of meshes, one additional bridge; collar, presumably, copper alloy. Single strip with one end terminating in perforated tongue, the other terminating in two perforated tongues, one above the other; tongues fastened with pin with diamond-shaped head, bent in position; at regular intervals around collar, three horizontal flanges, L: 1.1 cm, W: 0.8 cm, Th.: 0.1 cm, each with circular perforation; lamp-hanger, presumably copper alloy. Composite object comprising hook-and-loop and three looped elements; hook-and-loop has upper end bent into hook, long shank, D: 0.2 cm, and lower end looped and wound six times around shank; each looped element has straight rod, D: 0.2 cm, flattened and perforated at ends, six twisted figure-of-eight links, and hook-and-loop.

Cage cups are the most exclusive luxury glasses made in the later Roman Empire. They date from about A.D. 250 to the mid-fourth century. Cutting and grinding a single thick-walled blank was a laborious and risky process. If just one mesh of the cage was broken, the entire vessel had to be scrapped. For this reason, cage cups were exceptional objects. They were often owned by the most privileged members of Roman society. Some cage cups are shaped like beakers and inscribed with toasts such as “Drink! May you live for many years!” Others, including the example shown here, are shaped like bowls. The metal fittings indicate that this object was meant to be suspended. It is possible that bowl-shaped cage cups were hanging lamps rather than drinking vessels.Cage cups are the most exclusive luxury glasses made in the later Roman Empire.