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Dionysiac festivity 

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In the center of the scene, there is the xoanon (wooden cult statue) of the god Dionysus. It wears clothes and a mask. The god has long hair and beard. He wears a chiton, a himation tied at his waist and an ivy wreath. Laurel leaves grow from the base of the statue and ivy stems from the middle. In front of the xoanon, there is a table for offerings with two stamnoi and a kantharos on it. On each side, four women are depicted. They have been identified with Maenads, the followers of Dionysus. Each one of them wears a long himation, a nebris (young deer skin) tied at the waist and ivy wreath. The woman to the right holds a tympanon, the one on the left draws wine from the stamnos into a skyphos (drinking vessel) with an arytaina (spoon), while the two female figures in the corners hold a thyrsos (stick that ends in a pinecone with ivy and vine leaves) and a torch. Inscriptions provide the names of the two women next to the xoanon of Dionysus: Dione and Mainas.

It has been suggested that the representation could be identified or inspired by a festival dedicated to the god Dionysus, most likely the festival of Anthesteria or Lenaia.


Caption Attic red figured stamnos with Maenads celebrating in front of the xoanon of Dionysus

Mythic people Dionysus (God)

Type Clay object

Artist/Creator Dinos Painter, Αttic workshop

Origin Nocera de’ Pagani, Italy

Current position Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Napoli (Italy)

Index number 81674

Dating 420-410 BC

LIMC Url

Notes

Stamnos H 2419. Museo Archaeologico Nazionale di Napoli (beazley.ox.ac.uk)

Αγγεία με παρόμοιο εικονογραφικό θέμα υπάρχουν στη Βοστώνη Stamnos 90.155 b. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (collections.mfa.org) & Digital LIMC (weblimc.org), στο Βρετανικό Μουσείο Stamnos E451. British Museum (britishmuseum.org) & Digital LIMC (weblimc.org) και στο Λούβρο Stamnos G408. Louvre Collections & Digital LIMC (weblimc.org)

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες σχετικά με την εικονογραφία των επονομαζόμενων "Ληναϊκών" αγγείων, βλ. Peirce, Sarah. “Visual Language and Concepts of Cult on the ‘Lenaia Vases.’” Classical Antiquity, vol. 17, no. 1, 1998, pp. 59–95 (JSTOR) & de la Genière, Juliette. “« Vases des Lénéennes ». Cent ans après.” Revue Des Études Grecques, vol. 126, no. 1, 2013, pp. 21–48. (JSTOR)

Για τη λέξη "Λῆναι", βλ. "Λῆναι" (greek-language.gr)

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