after a Hellenistic Greek bronze

Torso of a Dancing Faun, 1st century CE

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The Putnam Dana McMillan Fundexpand_more  70.39

This muscled male torso, with a small tail and twisting pose, is the remnant of a dancing faun. The statue type is known from around 40 surviving ancient Roman copies after a Greek prototype and from ancient coins depicting the sculpture which help us reconstruct the work’s original appearance. This faun would have had tiny horns above his forehead and a kroupezion, or clapper, worn on his foot. His raised right hand and lowered left probably held cymbals, although variants also show him holding hands with dancing figures or tugging at nymphs’ drapery. These lustful woodland creatures, followers of Dionysus, the god of wine, lived freely in wild inebriation. They are often represented in frenzied states of music making and dance, as here, with the chiseled body captured in rotating movement.

Details
Title
Torso of a Dancing Faun
Role
Artist
Accession Number
70.39
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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after a Hellenistic Greek bronze