Marble two-sided relief
The peristyle gardens of Roman houses and villas were filled with decorative marble reliefs such as this one. The masks of a young maenad and a bearded silenus are carved on one side in high relief. A shepherd’s crook, known in antiquity as a pedum, and two cymbals rest between them. Dionysiac cult objects and theatrical masks are often depicted on similar marble ornaments found in Pompeii, where they were suspended between the columns of the peristyle or set on tall pillars around the garden. Other themes, however, are also represented; on the other side of this piece, in low relief, a ketos, or sea monster, rides atop the waves.
Artwork Details
- Title: Marble two-sided relief
- Period: Imperial
- Date: 1st century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: 9 7/8 x 14 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (25.1 x 37.5 x 5.7 cm)
- Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Renée E. and Robert A. Belfer, 2012
- Object Number: 2012.479.11
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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1st–2nd century CE
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