Four-sided bottle 1708 - 1725

This four-sided bottle was made by Meissen Manufactory. Its white porcelain surface features faces with curling ram horns, symbols associated with Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, theatre, and religious ecstasy. These masks are not merely decorative; they are potent symbols, echoing back to ancient Greek and Roman traditions, where such imagery was commonplace in festivals, rituals, and theatrical performances honoring Dionysus. Think of the ecstatic revelry of the Bacchanalia, with Maenads adorned in ivy, their faces flushed with wine and religious fervor. The masks embody the blurring of identity, where individuals could transcend their everyday selves through ritual and performance. Consider how these symbols, passed down through history, resurface in various forms—from Renaissance paintings depicting Bacchic scenes to modern interpretations in theatre and art. This is the non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols.