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Black-Figure Wine Cooler (Psykter) with Dionysos in Procession

Attributed To The Rycroft Painter
Culture Greek
Title Black-Figure Wine Cooler (Psykter) with Dionysos in Procession
Date 530–500 BCE
Medium Terracotta
Dimensions rim diameter: 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm)
Overall (as restored): 13 1/2 × 10 9/16 in. (34.3 × 26.8 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 75.102.1

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About this Work

This black-figure vessel depicts Dionysus, the god of wine, standing upon a chariot and participating in a procession of dancing maenads and satyrs. The messenger god Hermes is leading the chariot. After being filled with wine, a psykter was placed inside a large mixing bowl (called a krater), which was filled with ice, cold water, or snow. The mushroom-shape of the vessel allowed it to float in ice water. Once the wine had been cooled to the desired temperature, it was removed from the psykter with a ladle and mixed with water before being served.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Black-Figure Wine Cooler (Psykter) with Dionysos in Procession | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=75.102.1