Unknown artist, Roman

The pointed ears and facial features of this figure indicate that he is a satyr, a semihuman follower of the god of wine, Dionysus/Bacchus. The small hand that grasps his hair allows the identification of the type of sculptural group to which this fragment belonged. The original composition was of a nymph rejecting the advances of a satyr. Such Roman groupings were based on Hellenistic amorous or erotic subjects, most of which involved satyrs being warded off by uninterested parties. Their function in Roman settings is difficult to determine. They may have been votive sculptures set in Dionysiac sanctuaries or privately commissioned works to serve decorative functions.