A satyr with an erect member holds a goat's bellows as a wineskin. He wears a wreath of ivy leaves.
The satyr here is engaged in a game called askoliasmos, derived from the Greek word for wineskin, ‘askos’, in which you had to jump on an inflated wineskin greased with oil and try to keep your balance.
Askoliasmos was a popular game of skill in ancient times that was played during the rural Dionysia, a festival in honour of the god Dionysus. The participants tried to keep their balance on a greased tube made of animal skin (e.g. goat or pig) filled with air or wine. The winner received the wine-filled tube as a prize.
The game probably had a ritual significance and may have been associated with fertility rituals. It was also mentioned in Roman wine festivals, which indicates that it was known beyond Greece.
Greek Late Archaic period 510-500 BC,
Exhibit of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston,
Diameter 24 cm with handles. Replica hand-painted and potted.
A seal on the handle bears the inscription ‘MUSEUM COPY’, on the back ‘HAND MADE IN GREECE’.
