Head of a satyr for attachment to a jug
Ptolemaic Period
Satyr masks like this one were affixed to the inside rim of elaborate wine jugs (oinochoai) where the handle reached the rim. At the lower end of the handle on the body of the vessel were affixed heads of Silens, the old drinking man who accompanied Dionysus. The authoritative study on Ptolemaic oinochoai notes that the two made an effective pair: the Satyr's eager face invites drinking, and the Silen's benevolent appearance suggested the satisfaction of having drunk.
Other fragments of such wine jugs in the collection preserve the relief images of queens that decorated their sides (26.7.1016 and 26.7.1017).
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