bronze oil lamp with an image of a satyr, follower of Dionysos

A mythological hybrid, half man, half hoofed creature like a goat. The satyr is usually depicted with a swishing tail, a snub nose, a beard and a permanently erect and disproportionally large phallus.

Satyrs were associated with the worship of Dionysos, god of wine and theatre. The satyr represents unharnessed sexuality and the uninhibited aspects of our human nature, which, if indulged to excess, inevitably leads to potential chaos...

Dionysos, son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, was the god of the vine and wine, liquid life, fertility and rebirth in nature. From his complex cult and ritual emerged Greek drama.

He was the only god to be born of a mortal mother, and he was one of the few who went to bring a dead soul back from the underworld - he brought his mother Semele back with him to Mount Olympos.

Jealous Hera had tricked Zeus into causing Semele's death, but Zeus delivered the prematurely born Dionysos and stitched him into his thigh, from which he was born again at full term. Hera continued her campaign of revenge against the baby Dionysos, and arranged for him to be dismembered by the Titans, but Rhea, mother of Zeus, put him back together, and brought him back to life.

Dionysos rescued Ariadne on the island of Naxos, after she had been abandoned by Theseus, after she'd helped him to kill the Minotaur. They married and had several children.

Dionysos would look after his half-brother Apollo's sanctuary in Delphi whenever Apollo left to spend time with the Hyperboreans.

The focal point of the Dionysia, the spring festival held in Athens in his honour, became the performances, in competition, of comedies, tragedies and satyr plays. These took place in the Theatre of Dionysos on the slopes of the Akropolis. One of those tragedies was Euripides' Bacchae, which explores the complexity and duality of this elemental and multi-faceted god.

He is often represented wearing vine leaves, even grapes, around his head. He is often accompanied by his followers, the female Maenads, and the hybrid Satyrs. He wears an animal skin cloak, and often carries a thyrsos and his signature wine-drinking vessel, the kantharos.

The bronze oil lamps at It's All Greek are beautiful, decorative pieces in their own right, and will enhance any surface. Should you wish to use them, please do so with great care and at your own risk!

Suggestions:

• place on a slate placemat or stone surface NOT on wood, since the bronze may heat up a little

• use clear paraffin odour-free lamp oil and a slow-burning wick, specifically designed for hurricane lamps or vintage lamps

• do not leave unattended

Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!

These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.

Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!

If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.

Every piece is deliciously tactile.

It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.

If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!