This marble sculpture shows the wine god Dionysos crowned with a vine-wreath and holding a bunch of grapes.

As first shown as an older, bearded god, Dionysos became over time a young and sensuous male. His almost feminine eroticism is emphasised by his slipping garment, and is comparable to that of the Apollo from Cyrene (also from the British Museum, uploaded on MyMiniFactory!). It is in striking contrast to the athletic physiques and confident stances of the athletes created at that time. This sculpture was found in the Temple of Dionysos at Cyrene (Libya), and may in fact have been the cult statue and thus the focus of worship there. It is likely to be a Roman adaption of an existing type, rather than a direct copy of a Greek Original. The sculpture is Roman, made in the 2nd Century AD.

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.