Dionysus’ thiasos, his sacred band of followers, often appear in myths partaking in grand processions or gathering on mountainsides, where his worship encouraged drunkenness, sexual licence and the consumption of raw flesh. Maenads (literally ‘maddened’) were human female followers of the god who sometimes wore the skins of fawns or leopards and in their frenzy were said to have torn young animals apart.
Some maenads dance around this cup in a frenzy, others ride donkeys. Having consumed the deity by drinking the contents of the vessel, they are illustrating the power of the god they worship. Characterised by its long handle, the cup may have been used to decant wine from a krater into drinking cups used at a symposium (drinking party). Sprays of ivy, which decorate the cup, are another symbol indicating the presence of Dionysus.
