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Tanagra. Greece. 3rd century BC.
Lot no. 1
Description
Tanagra. Greece. 3rd century BC.
'Menade and Satyr dancing in a Dionysian ceremony'
Sculptural group in terracotta.
25 x 19 x 9 cm.
Magnificent sculpture modelled in terracotta, which, in addition to its great formal beauty, displays remarkable detail—as seen in the facial features, clothing, anatomical elements, and the rest of the ornamental features.
It is a Hellenistic work, originating from Myrina or possibly even from mainland Greece, sculpted and modelled by hand by a Hellenistic master of the time.
The composition, which represents the ritual dance of a Dionysian ceremony, depicts a dancing maenad playing a tambourine and adorned with ivy leaves, being embraced by a satyr in a truly Dionysian choreography.
The maenad is dressed in a tunic with folds that masterfully mark the rhythm of the dance. The satyr, whose face constitutes a true portrait (comparable to representations of Socrates by Lysippos), is clothed in a finely detailed ram’s skin. In the Hellenistic period, it was quite characteristic for terracotta sculptures to portray the face of Silenus (a satyr) with the features of Socrates.
The piece conveys a sense of movement and mystery and is a magnificent example of a Dionysian mystery ceremony.
As for its condition, it is intact and retains much of its original polychromy.
The sculpture has undergone a Thermoluminescence Study by the Radiochemistry Department of the Autonomous University of Madrid, which unequivocally dates it to circa 3rd century BC.
Provenance: Private collection. Spain.
Two thermoluminescence dating reports are attached:
- Faculty of Sciences of the Autonomous University of Madrid, dated February 28, 1995, dating the work between the III-I Century BC.
- Luminescence Dating Laboratory of the Geochronology Unit of the University of A Coruña, dated May 11, 2022, which dates the figure between the VIth century and the beginning of the 1st century BC.
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