Dionysus with Thyrsus

This bronze statue of Dionysus from the Hadrianic period (117–138) shows the youthful god crowned with a vine-leaf diadem and holding a tall thyrsus, emblem of fertility and ecstatic power. Cast by the lost-wax process—in which a wax model is replaced by molten bronze—it preserves limestone eyes and copper-inlaid details that enliven its surface. The work reflects Roman mastery of bronze sculpture and the enduring appeal of Dionysian imagery.