|
Bacchante |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bacchante |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Museum quality cameo depicting a Bacchante. This one is a spectacular cameo very finely carved, she's so feminine and full of grace. Look at how the carver used the shell to give some color to her cheek to the grapes and to her hair, look at how her mouth is gently curved to raise a smile, an enigmatic smile, like the one of the famous Mona Lisa. Look at how the wine leaves and grapes are carved, it just seems that you can grab them and remove them from her head! The beauty of her face, her eyes' expression and her full and sensual mouth, the perfection of her nose, everything in this cameo is superbly and masterly carved, surely the work of a great artist. Even look at how the folds of her dress are made. No other words are necessary to speak about her beauty. A fantastic cameo to not to be missed. A bit of history:
In Greek mythology,
maenads (Bacchantes)
were the female followers of Dionysus, the most significant members
of the Thiasus, the retinue of Dionysus. The maenads were also known
as Bacchae or Bacchantes in Roman mythology, after the penchant of
the equivalent Roman god, Bacchus, to wear a fox-skin. Their name
literally translates as "raving ones". Often the maenads were
portrayed as inspired by him into a state of ecstatic frenzy,
through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication. In this
state, they would lose all self-control, begin shouting excitedly,
engage in uncontrolled sexual behavior, and ritualistically hunt
down and tear animals (and sometimes men and children) to pieces,
devouring the raw flesh. During these rites, the maenads would dress
in fawn skins and carry a thyrsus, a long stick wrapped in ivy or
vine leaves and tipped by a cluster of leaves; they would weave
ivy-wreaths and fruiting vines around their heads, and often handle
or wear snakes.
|
