Antefix with Dionysos

Antefix with Dionysos

TERRACOTTA

Part of an antefix consisting of two fragments that have been joined together. The larger piece includes most of the upper part of a flat, semi-circular plaque (about 130-150 mm thick) decorated on its outer surface with a high relief moulding, a frontal face of Dionysus waring a grape and ivy leaf wreath on his head, while the smaller fragment comes from the right-hand bottom edge of this plaque. Part of the lower left cheek of Dionysus, the bottom half of a bunch of grapes and some wavy locks of hair decorate the front surface of this fragment. A small length of the original semi-circular backer segment projects from the rear of the plaque. The clay is pinkish-orange in colour on th ebroken edges and light orange on its outer surface with a darker-coloured incrustation filling the moulded indentations and coating much of the rear surface.

The moulded decoration consists of a frontal face of Dionysus, oval in shape and turned slightly to his right. The right side of the face below the cheekbone is missing, including the mouth, but most of the left cheek above the jaw line is included in the fragment. The end of the nose and left nostril are chipped, but the nose was originally broad and straight. Well-defined brow lines curve around at the top to join the sides of the nose. The eyes are outlined by moulded lids and they look to his left. The luxuriant wreath is formed from ivy stems with leaves and a large berry plus grape leaves. It curves around the top of Dionysus' head and a large bunch of grapes hands over each ear, topped by a large grape leaf. Wavy strands of hair hang below the right-hand bunch of grapes.

Aegean

Greek

Hellenistic

Purchased from the Toussaint Collection with funds from the Castlehow Bequest, 1995.

320 - 250 BC

95.074

Italy

Southern Italy