Satyrs formed part of the retinue of Dionysus. Inhabiting the countryside and inflamed by wine and sexual desire, they were extreme examples of liberation.
Around the shoulder of this wine jug,masked actors dressed as satyrs dance to the music of an aulos (double-piped flute). This is an Etruscan version of a satyr performance. An ancient civilisation that inhabited Italy, north of the river Tiber, the Etruscans were gradually assimilated by the Romans.
The actors wear padded costumes with short skirts and tails attached behind. Their skirts are somewhat different from those worn in the Greek satyr plays. The flute player’s skirt is rolled up to reveal a dangling phallus. The mouths of their masks are closed, which suggest their role was dancing rather than singing or speaking.
A tiny ram’s head joins the handle to the lip of the jug: heads like these found on libation vessels suggest a cult or ritual association.
