
Francesca Hickin
Head of Department
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Sold for £3,187.50 inc. premium
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Head of Department

Senior Specialist
Provenance:
with Dr Christoph F. Leon, Basel in May 1998.
The panther was most associated with the god Dionysus, who was often accompanied by the exotic felines. Bacchic themes were popular as funerary motifs on sarcophagi, as they were considered to represent the importance of celebrating the life of the deceased rather than mourning the departed. Dionysus, as god of banqueting, was closely associated with the funerary banquet, an important aspect of Roman funerary tradition.