On the body of a silver rhyton (vessel for liquid offerings), the death of the Thracian musician Orpheus by the women of Thrace is depicted. With a stone in her right hand, a woman attacks Orpheus from the right. The hero is restrained by a second woman on the left who is tugging him by the hair while holding a sword in her right hand. A third woman swings a short hammer while holding the pelta, a Thracian-style shield made of wicker and shaped like a crescent, in her left hand. As he falls to the ground, Orpheus lifts his himation and a staff in an effort to defend himself. In his right hand, he is holding a lyre. Tattoos, a distinctive aspect of the Thracians, can be seen on the female bodies.

This exceedingly rare and priceless artefact was discovered in Thrace. It is believed that the vase was made in a North Aegean workshop that was influenced by Athens, because of its shape and iconography, which resemble Attic clay vases. Owning such a thing reveals how important the owner's social standing is. When Athens sought solid alliances with the Odrysian kingdom during the Peloponnesian War, it might have been either (a) a diplomatic present to Thracian elites or (b) a method of payment given the precious metal used in its production. Such a gift would be chosen with the objective of both impressing the receiver and at the same time assert the good intentions of the donor. Last but not least, the mythological theme selected is intimately related to Thracian culture and would be a motif that is clearly recognizable.