A Roman Marble Dionysiac Relief, circa A.D. 170-180

cut in modern times from the lid of a sarcophagus, carved from left to right with a satyr resting his foot on a cista mystica, an erote peeking in, Pan standing behind, a manead playing the double flute, striding Silenus hunched over on a fragmentary staff, a satyr carrying an animal on his shoulders, a maenad holding a tympanon, and a satyr holding a krater; no restorations.

found as part of a nearly complete Dionysiac sarcophagus lid in 1588 at Ostia, together with a statue of Cybele now in Naples (M. Vermaseren, Corpus Cultus Cybelae Attidisque, vol. 3, 1977, p. 122, no. 392, pl. 242) and an inscription (CIL XIV, 296)
Farnese collection, Rome, sketched in the first half of the 17th Century (drawings from Cassiano dal Pozzo's Museo Cartaceo, vol. VII, fol. 50, and vol. X, fol. 26)
French private collection, Deauville, Normandy, in the family garden since the middle part of the 20th Century

Cornelius C. Vermeule, "The Dal Pozzo-Albani Drawings of Classical Antiquities in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 56, pt. 2, 1966, p. 46, no. 8680, fig. 191, and p. 62, no. 8019
Friedrich Matz, Die dionysischen Sarkophage, Die antiken Sarkophag-Reliefs, vol. IV.4, Berlin, 1975, p. 487f., no. 325, Beilage 124
Carlo Gasparri, ed., Le sculture Farnese. Storia e documenti, Naples, 2007, p. 174, no. 206
Eloisa Dodero, "Il Museo Cartaceo di Cassiano dal Pozzo e qualche novità sulle collezioni romane di antichità," Studi di Memofonte, vol. 12, 2014, p. 213, note 11

Upper right corner broken and repaired as shown, with broad interstice along the repair. An iron clamp was used to reinforce the repair on the left side. Two circular holes drilled on top edge, as well as two channels for iron pins at each end. Three shallow rounded chanels for still extant iron pins on the underside. Three holes for rusting iron pins on the back, including two in which the pins have rusted and expanded enough to cause several radiating stress cracks visible both in front and in back, especially along the lower edge. No looseness could be observed anywhere on the panel along these cracks, including along the repair. Surface is weathered overal from prolonged exposure to the elements. Note missing right hand of Pan, left arm, right hand, and upper staff of Silenus, fragmentary hindleg and head of ram, and missing face of satyr holding krater.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The early drawings of this sarcophagus are part of the Museo Cartaceo ("Paper Museum"), an ambitious encyclopedic project led by Cassiano dal Pozzo (1588-1657), antiquarian and private secretary to Cardinal Francesco Barberini. Upon his death Dal Pozzo's heirs sold his large collection of drawings to Cardinal Albani, who then sold it to various institutions, mostly in England, including the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.

The drawing from vol. X shows the present relief above the relief from the right half of a sarcophagus lid from the Farnese collection, now in Naples: C. Gasparri, ed., Le sculture Farnese, vol. 3, 2010, p. 113f., no. 42, pl. 35. The present lot is therefore the left half of the same lid, found in 1588 at Ostia. It was still documented as being complete in the Farnese-inventory from 1775, but already described as „molto frammentato e consumato“ in the inventory from 1783-86.