Design for a Tazza, Bowl or Dish 1600

This anonymous design for a bowl or dish centers around Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, seated on a dolphin. Grape vines adorn his head, symbols of intoxication and ecstatic release. Note how this motif of a god riding a sea creature echoes through time. We see similar images in depictions of Aphrodite born from the sea or Poseidon commanding the waves. Here, Bacchus riding the dolphin is not merely decorative. It speaks to a deeper yearning for transformation and escape from earthly bounds. Like Dionysus in ancient Greece, Bacchus embodies the liberation of the senses, a potent force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The image resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings, reflecting our cyclical engagement with ecstasy and transcendence.