Aug 17, 2011
Aug 17, 2011
Aug 17, 2011
Aug 17, 2011

Bacchanalian Relief

Bacchanalian Relief

AD 200s

Schist

Overall: 24.5 x 61 x 14 cm (9 5/8 x 24 x 5 1/2 in.)

Gift of Maxeen and John Flower in honor of Dr. Stanislaw Czuma 2011.140

Description

Grape vines create vignettes with scenes of drunken revelry on this architectural carving that once fit by joinery to other carved stone blocks at the base of a Buddhist monument. Bacchus himself, the Greco-Roman god of wine, may be the third figure from the left; bearded, portly, and inebriated, his garment slips as he collapses. Cupid and Aphrodite appear in the vignette on the right next to an amorous couple. On the side is a female nature divinity, grasping the branch of a tree, but unlike her counterparts from farther south in India, she is clothed in a long tunic, pants, and scarf associated with the dress of the Central Asian nomadic groups.

See also

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.