Terracotta Nolan neck-amphora (jar)
Attributed to the Oionokles Painter
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.
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