Now extended until 20th July!

The Warren Cup is a luxurious silver cup that would have used at dinner parties. As a work of art it's a masterpiece - its fine decoration achieved by beating the silver into shape from the inside using fine hammers and chisels. Luxuriant fabrics and musical instruments indicate a world heavily influenced by Greek culture, which the Romans admired and adopted.

So what is so special about the decoration that made it one of the British Museum's highest profile and most controversial acquisitions? What kept the piece out of permanent museum collections until 1999 and ensured that its purchase earned it a place in all the British media? Sex.

This little cup embraces the Romans' love of banqueting, their passion for conspicuous shows of wealth, their love of beautiful things and their skill in creating them. It also allows a glimpse into the private life of Romans, challenging our traditional view of how they lived and loved.

Due to its continued success and popularity with visitors, Roman Sexuality: Images, Myths & Meanings continues at Brading Roman Villa until 20th July and features over fifty objects from the British Museum collection including the world famous Warren Cup which featured recently in the BBCs ‘History of the World in 100 Objects’. In fact, this exhibition is only the second time that the Warren Cup has left the British Museum! It brings together a wide variety of artefacts and images from Roman art and archaeology and investigates what they meant to those who made and used them.