Handle of an amphora
Handle of an amphora
Date5th century BCE
Mediumbronze
Dimensionsobject: 7 x 3 1/2 x 2 7/8 in. (17.8 x 8.9 x 7.3 cm)
ClassificationMATERIAL CULTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Wright S. Ludington
Object number1981.64.31
Subject(s)
- deer
- animal
- men
- heads and faces
Collection
- Antiquity
Sub-Collection(s)
- Mediterranean
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThese handles derive from an Etruscan bronze amphora and remind us that the most highly prized vessels in the Greek and Roman worlds were not ceramic, but metal. This amphora was used to store wine, as indicated by the satyrs that decorate the base of the handles. Satyrs are woodland spirits associated with Dionysos, the god of wine They were often depicted with the characteristics of a horse or goat (typically a tail, ears, and hooves) and engaged in bestial, riotous or lascivious behavior. On this amphora, one satyr drinks wine from a kantharos, Dionysos’ preferred type of cup, while the other displays his genitals and sticks out his tongue.
