Like a few other museums, I did not find many sarcophagi in the British Museum. I was able to find a very well preserved sarcophagus for an infant,the first one I have found with Dionysian iconography. I felt that this alone made the trip, however I was also able to find Dionysian iconography in other mediums, such as mosaics, wall-paintings, statues, and marble relief. I also found another statue of the Dionysus of Sardanapolos, identical to the one I found in the National Museum of Rome, and a copy of the same original.
1.) Child’s sarcophagus decorated with a procession of the wine-god Bacchus and his followers. Probably carved at Rome, about 220-250 AD.
Lid-MODERN, of a reclining Silenus.
Center- Bacchus being held up by a wingless cupid, Maenad or Ariadne at his side with a panther. Lion heads poke out of the side, similar to a few of the sarcophagi in the Vatican. Followers (Satyrs, Maenads, Cupids) in procession. Wingless cupids symbolize the dead child.
Rear- lions on side (like front) wingless cupids trampling grapes in a vat. Vat looks very similar to the sarcophagus.
2.) Panel from a mosaic pavement: The god of wine, Dionysus, dances with a panther. 4th C AD, Rome. Found in the Villa of Halicarnassus, Southwest Asia Minor. Display of Dionysus with grape vines in hair dancing nude with a leopard.
3.) Panel from a painted wall. Wine god, Bacchus and his companion Silenus. Rome, 30 BC. From Villa at Bosoreale, near Pompei. Bacchus is pouring wine to a panther, hardly clothed, holding a spear, has long feminine hair and grapes at his side. Silenus is holding an instrument, and also hardly clothed.
4.) Bronze statuette of infant Bacchus. Roman, 50-100 AD, found in Naples, head and leopard skin made separately.
5.) Wall painting with followers of Bacchus from tomb in Villa Pamphili, Rome, around 50 BC.
This is a part of a series of paintings with followers of the wine-god. In the middle the cult is dancing around Bacchus as clothed people stare in shock.
6.) Terracotta relief: Satyr and Maenad with the infant Bacchus. Rome, around 20 BC- AD 50. Bacchus is in a liknon (basket)
7.) Terracotta relief: Bacchus with a satyr, Roman (same as above) the Satyr carries a wine amphora on his shoulder and an invented torch, nude Bacchus has a staff, cape, and vines in his hair.
8.) Marble relief of a maenad and 2 satyr in a Dionysiac procession. Roman, about 100 AD. From the Villa Quintiliana on the Appian Way, south of Rome. 2 satyrs, and a female follower, barely clothed, on satyr is holding a thyros (Dionysus’ staff) the other two followers are playing instruments. The satyrs are clothed in leopard skin. The description of this relief said they were two satyr, but one seems more like Dionysus, because he is holding a staff and has a leopard at his side. The description also stated that this relief was made in the Roman period but the figures derive from attic prototypes of the 4th C. BC.
9.) Statue of Dionysus wearing an ivy wreath. Roman copy, about 40-60 AD, of Greek original. (350-325 BC) from Posilippo, near Naples. This statue is based on the same copy from the National Museum of Rome.
Sardanapolos was a mythical Assyrian king notorious for decadent behavior, this is an archaic representation of the god.
I found more representations of baby Dionysus in the British museum than I have in any of the rest. This was an interesting theme to follow, from the representation of the baby sarcophagus to the marble relief of Bacchus’ infancy, it gave me a new theme to follow. There were not as many clear representation’s of Ariadne, and more of Dionysus’ followers, and the cult itself, probably because many of the artifacts were found near Pompei. The dates of these works were a bit earlier than others I have found as well. Another clear trend within these works is the Asiatic influence, once again the representation of the Sardanapolos Dionysius is shown, as well as the mosaic taken from Asia Minor.
2.) Panel from a mosaic pavement: The god of wine, Dionysus, dances with a panther. 4th C AD, Rome. Found in the Villa of Halicarnassus, Southwest Asia Minor. Display of Dionysus with grape vines in hair dancing nude with a leopard.
3.) Panel from a painted wall. Wine god, Bacchus and his companion Silenus. Rome, 30 BC. From Villa at Bosoreale, near Pompei. Bacchus is pouring wine to a panther, hardly clothed, holding a spear, has long feminine hair and grapes at his side. Silenus is holding an instrument, and also hardly clothed.
4.) Bronze statuette of infant Bacchus. Roman, 50-100 AD, found in Naples, head and leopard skin made separately.
5.) Wall painting with followers of Bacchus from tomb in Villa Pamphili, Rome, around 50 BC.
This is a part of a series of paintings with followers of the wine-god. In the middle the cult is dancing around Bacchus as clothed people stare in shock.
6.) Terracotta relief: Satyr and Maenad with the infant Bacchus. Rome, around 20 BC- AD 50. Bacchus is in a liknon (basket)
7.) Terracotta relief: Bacchus with a satyr, Roman (same as above) the Satyr carries a wine amphora on his shoulder and an invented torch, nude Bacchus has a staff, cape, and vines in his hair.
8.) Marble relief of a maenad and 2 satyr in a Dionysiac procession. Roman, about 100 AD. From the Villa Quintiliana on the Appian Way, south of Rome. 2 satyrs, and a female follower, barely clothed, on satyr is holding a thyros (Dionysus’ staff) the other two followers are playing instruments. The satyrs are clothed in leopard skin. The description of this relief said they were two satyr, but one seems more like Dionysus, because he is holding a staff and has a leopard at his side. The description also stated that this relief was made in the Roman period but the figures derive from attic prototypes of the 4th C. BC.
9.) Statue of Dionysus wearing an ivy wreath. Roman copy, about 40-60 AD, of Greek original. (350-325 BC) from Posilippo, near Naples. This statue is based on the same copy from the National Museum of Rome.
Sardanapolos was a mythical Assyrian king notorious for decadent behavior, this is an archaic representation of the god.
I found more representations of baby Dionysus in the British museum than I have in any of the rest. This was an interesting theme to follow, from the representation of the baby sarcophagus to the marble relief of Bacchus’ infancy, it gave me a new theme to follow. There were not as many clear representation’s of Ariadne, and more of Dionysus’ followers, and the cult itself, probably because many of the artifacts were found near Pompei. The dates of these works were a bit earlier than others I have found as well. Another clear trend within these works is the Asiatic influence, once again the representation of the Sardanapolos Dionysius is shown, as well as the mosaic taken from Asia Minor.
1 comment:
I love your photos and comments!
It should be a really interesting thesis, especially if you focus just on Dionysian themes.
A good website is bacchus.org, in French but there is an Altavista translation. It applies the sarcophagi to taro. For that, what I would want to know is when the sarcophagi were excavated, as tarot is 15th-17th cent. I found your comment about 1277 Pisa very interesting.
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