North African Terra Sigillata Amphora with Stamp Mold Reliefs

Dionysus, the god of wine and merriment, is shown with his sacred animal the panther on one side of this splendid vessel, which almost certainly identifies it as a container for wine. On the other side stands a naked youth, possibly Herakles, the favorite hero of the classical world. The Romans had a talent for enriching the merely functional with artistic skill, turning the useful into the beautiful as well. In the presence of this stunning vessel we are transported to the heart of a vanished culture, one that surrounded itself with beauty.