Terracotta figure of a reclining man holding a kantharos and lyre

3rd century BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 161

This group of works, of varying date but acquired together, illustrates a characteristic subject among Tarentine terracottas. Although the examples are fragmentary, they show male figures reclining in a context that probably has to do with the wine god, Dionysos. The figures who support themselves on their left arm and have their lower body draped evoke participants in a symposium. The youths on the backs of creatures real and mythological introduce another realm of reality. The identity and meaning of the subjects remain to be elucidated. The difficulty is particularly great because the iconography reflects not only long-standing Greek traditions but also funerary practices, mysteries, and other observances specific to Tarentum.

Artwork Details

Overview

References

Title: Terracotta figure of a reclining man holding a kantharos and lyre
Period: Hellenistic
Date: 3rd century BCE
Culture: Greek, South Italian, Tarentine
Medium: Terracotta
Dimensions: Overall: 11 1/2 x 12in. (29.2 x 30.5cm)
Classification: Terracottas
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1920
Object Number: 20.216
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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