A Roman marble Silenius

myminifactory

This sculpture portrays Silenus, a trusted companion and mentor to Dionysus, the wine god in Greek mythology. The Romans' fondness for decorative sculptures featuring Bacchic themes, often with humorous undertones, is well-documented from excavations at Pompeii and other sites. Here, as elsewhere, Silenus is typically depicted engaging in Dionysiac activities, such as making music or holding infant Bacchus. For example, cf. nos. 214-215 in E. Simon's "Silenoi," LIMC VIII, Zurich and Düsseldorf, 1997. A very similar satyr with fleshy pectorals and abdomen is shown pouring wine from a wineskin balanced on his thigh in D. Boschung and H. von Hesberg's Die antiken Skulpturen in Newby Hall, sowie in anderen Sammlungen in Yorkshire, Wiesbaden, 2007, pp. 54-56, pls 24-25, no. 16.