Cleveland Museum of Art

Statuette of Dionysos

Date

50 BCE–50 CE

Medium

bronze and silver and traces of gilding, hollow cast

Culture

Italy, Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This bronze figure of Dionysos, the god of wine, theater, and the mysteries, is presented in a style recalling Archaic Greek art, most noticeably in his stiff pose and trimmed beard. The more naturalistic folds of his garment speak to a later date, in the Roman period. The disk attached at the top of the head suggests that this figure was once part of an ornate piece of furniture, perhaps a stand or support. In his right hand, the god likely held a kantharos or other attribute. He would have been further embellished with inlaid copper (lips), silver (whites of eyes), and perhaps gilding (garment). Over his long, thin garment, Dionysos wears an animal skin, fastened on his left shoulder.

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