| Date | 140–160 A.D. |
|---|---|
| Object type | sculpture |
| Medium, technique | carved, marble (Luna) |
| Dimensions | height: 22.5 cm, width: 20.5 cm, depth: 20 cm |
| Inventory number | 4763 |
| Collection | Classical Antiquities |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Classical Antiquity, Eros – Dionysos – Thanatos |
The head is that of a maenad (bacchant), who belonged, like Silenos and the satyrs, to the retinue of Dionysos. The maenad thrusts her head fervently to the back: she is crowned with a leafy cone wreath. The passionate gesture is intensified by the mouth open for shouting or singing, and the short, matted hair that frames the face and is composed of locks carved in short, wide notches. The statue that the head once belonged to represented the maenad in an exalted dance: her figure rendered Dionysiac ecstasy visible and made the god present.
Marble analyses have shown that the statue was made of Luna (Carrara) marble.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
