Tetradrachm (Coin) Depicting the God Dionysos
after 146 BCE
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 3.2 cm (1 5/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141559
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a young Dionysos, Greek god of wine, facing right and crowned with an ivory wreath bearing two bunches of berries at his brow. His expression is serene, and his hair is shown rolled through side and back of the diadem, with several long locks curling down his neck. On the back (reverse), Dionysos is depicted leaning lightly on a rod with a cloak over his left arm. With his right he presents bunch of grapes.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...