According to the legend, Silenus was ordered by Zeus to carry Dionysos, his illegitimate son, to protect the child from the wrath of Hera. The statue, whose subject is known by other ancient copies, might have been a replica of a bronze work, now lost, created by the Greek sculptor Lysippos in the fourth century BC. This can be identified by seeing some characteristic features of the artist, such as the slenderness and unstable balance of the body or odd use of negative space.

Pliny the Elder mentioned a satyr by Lysippos in the first century AD in Athens (Natural History XXXIV, 64).

The base has been reworked in modern times. The statue is a complex assembly of original parts with additional parts added, executed in marble and plaster. 

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Scanned : Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)