Fragment with Satyr and Maenad

300s CE
Overall: 139 x 86.4 cm (54 3/4 x 34 in.); Mounted: 153.6 x 100.4 x 3.9 cm (60 1/2 x 39 1/2 x 1 9/16 in.)
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Description

This tapestry ranks among the crowning achievements of 4th-century Egyptian textiles. These sculptural figures originally stood with many others under an arcade more than 24 feet wide. Halos proclaim the special status of the graceful satyr, identified in Greek, who is dressed in a spotted skin standing beside an elegant nude maenad adorned with gold jewelry. Satyrs and maenads were followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, whose cult flourished especially in Egypt among the educated of all religions. Presumably this extravagant hanging was commissioned for cultic or theatrical festivities.
Fragment with Satyr and Maenad

Fragment with Satyr and Maenad

300s CE

Egypt, Byzantine period

Videos

Satyr and Maenad

Painting with Thread

Visually Similar Artworks

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 collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

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.