Terracotta Nolan neck-amphora (jar)

Oionokles Painter

ca. 480–470 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

Obverse, satyr playing lyre Reverse, satyr with wineskin As followers of the wine-god Dionysos, satyrs were traditionally associated with wine in all forms. Of interest here is the representation of the satyr playing the lyre. Music and especially the lyre, an attribute of Apollo, was the mark of a civilized, cultured individual. The depiction here reflects a general domestication of satyrs during the fifth century. It probably also alludes to developments in Greek theater and the rise of the satyr play.

Artist

Oionokles Painter

Date

ca. 480–470 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1909