Kylix (drinking cup): Satyrs and Maenads

Artists

Description

On the interior of this cup, a maenad (female follower of Dionysos) and a satyr dance facing each other, their arms outstretched and thrown up into the air. On the left, the maenad bows her head. She is wreathed with ivy and wears a long chiton (tunic) with many creases and folds. Her bent legs are visibly outlined through the fabric, suggesting its fineness and translucence. It is tied by a thin belt with tassels painted on in red. A leopard skin, an animal sacred to Dionysos, is draped over her upraised arm. In front of her, a nude satyr dances in a similar fashion, extended his right arm (partially preserved) in front of him and his left over his head. He also wears a red wreath of ivy leaves. His beard is long and hairy. The tip of his erection points upward. The exterior of this cup is decorated with a flurry of pursuit scenes where highly aroused satyrs attempt to court the fleeing and resistant maenads. The satyrs wear ivy wreaths, as do some of the maenads. Some of the maenads instead wear slim fillets tied around their hair. All the satyrs have leopard skins draped over their arms as they reach out in attempt to grab the maenads. All the maenads wear similar translucent chitons tied by a red belt, and two of them wear leopard skins, this time fastened at the neck. Their bodies are outlined beneath their clothing, revealing their various twists and poses as they resist the satyrs’ advances. Each carries a thyrsos, an ivy topped staff associated with Dionysos. On one side, a satyr even tries to grab the thyrsos to take it away from the maenad. On the other side, a maenad extends it in front of her, appearing to use it as a weapon against her pursuer. Behind her, a satyr caries a drinking horn, often a symbol of excessive wine consumption, which is emphasized by the wineskin hanging behind him in the background. A long-horned goat walks beneath the handle on one side, mirrored by a crawling satyr on the other, offering a humorous comparison between the satyr and the animal.

Dimensions

12.2 x Diam. with handles 41.5 cm (4 13/16 x 16 5/16 in.)

Provenance

Said to come from Athens. Charles L. Morley to Frederick M. Watkins, bequest; to the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1972. A handwritten note in the 1973 Watkins catalogue written by David Mitten quotes a March 5, 1973 letter from Dietrich von Bothmer: "not from Athens but from Vulci, since the cup is ex Canino Sale 1843, no. 172 (bought by Montfort)."