Panel showing initiation scene of Ariadne (153652)

Panel showing initiation scene of Ariadne (153652)

Found as isolated material together with another panel in the Naples Archaeological Museum which is identical in terms of theme and size (inv. 153651), the panel displays extremely high quality craftsmanship. It might have been an ornament for decorating a wall or, much more probably, a piece of wooden furniture, instead of the more common ivory inlays. The theme of the panel is the initiation of Ariadne to the Dionysian mysteries, a theme for which there is evidence in various frescoes. The scene takes place in a rural setting among vines and bay trees with two thin smooth columns on the right. To the left is the half-naked figure of Dionysus with a himation which is pleated at the sides and goes down to his feet. He has a thyrsus on his right shoulder and wears a wreath of leaves and vine leaves on his head. He leans his left arm on a small column while his right arm is raised in arch to his head. To the left, there is a kalyx-krater on the ground. At the centre is a figure, part of which is missing, of a Satyr flanked by two flying cupids; the one on the left with a basket and cornucopia while the one on the right, partly missing, moves to the right towards Ariadne, half-naked lying on cushions, who brings her right hand to her head. Panels in cameo glass such as this one are extremely rare, if not unique; it was probably made by the same workshop that produced such masterpieces as the famous “Blue vase” (inv. 13521) in the Archaeological Museum of Naples or the so-called "Portland vase" in the British Museum. They were produced by soldering together two sheets of glass - the sheets were made by pouring molten glass into moulds - after laying one on top of another and putting them into a furnace. The upper sheet would then be engraved. It is interesting to note that the panel showed traces of wear and ancient restoration when it was discovered.