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The Dancing Satyr

  • Image of " ©Marco Delogu"

    ©Marco Delogu

    Hyokeikan
    February 19, 2005 (Sat) - March 13, 2005 (Sun)

    This exhibition was designed to introduce The Dancing Satyr, one of the most important national treasures of Italy, at Tokyo National Museum for the first time in Japan. This fine bronze was miraculously salvaged from the sea of Sicily in 1998 after more than two thousand years on the sea-bed.
 General Information
Period Saturday, February 19 - Sunday, March 13, 2005
Venue Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park)
Hours 9:30 am. - 5:00 pm. (last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Open Days Open daily during the Exhibition
Admissions Adult 800 (700/650)yen, Student 600 (500/450)yen
* Prices shown in ( ) indicate advance-discount/group (more than 20 persons) tickets.
* Persons with a disability are allowed free entry with one companion. Valid identification requested upon entry.
* Advance tickets will be on sale at the Museum ticket office (during museum hours) and the counters of JR East, e-Ticket Pia and other major ticket offices from February 18 2005.
Set Discount Tickets for the two exhibitions "The Dancing Satyr" and "National Treasures from Chuguji - Sacred Bosatsu"
Buy tickets for both exhibitions together at discount prices.
Adults: 1,000yen; students 800yen

On sale from February 19 (Sat.), 2005 - March 13 (Sun.), 2005 (period of the exhibition of "The Dancing Satyr")

At the ticket booth of the Tokyo National Museum's Main Gate
Good News for Visitors who have advance tickets for "The Dancing Satyr"!
Visitors with advance tickets (adults 700 yen, students 500 yen) or tickets sold at other places (adults 800 yen, students 600 yen) can purchase the ticket for another exhibition, "National Treasures from Chuguji - Sacred Bosatsu", for 200 yen. You can have the two tickets 100 yen cheaper than the price of the set discount tickets for the two exhibitions.

The discount ticket is on sale from February 19 (Sat.), 2005 - March 13 (Sun.), 2005 (period of the exhibition of "The Dancing Satyr")

Please show your ticket for "The Dancing Satyr" at the ticket booth of the museum.

The discount is available only once per ticket.
 
Access 10 minutes walk from JR Ueno Station (Park exit) and Uguisudani Station
15 minutes walk from Keisei Ueno Station and Tokyo Metro Ueno Station and Nezu Station
Organizers Tokyo National Museum, Yomiuri Shimbun, the General Commissioner's Office for the 2005 Universal Expo in Aichi
Specially supported by Embassy of Italy
Supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Cooperated by Region of Sicily
General Inquiries Tokyo National Museum TEL. +81-3-3822-1111
Exhibition Homepage http://info.yomiuri.co.jp/event/exhibition/ (Yomiuri Shimbun Homepage : Japanese only)
The website has closed with the end of the exhibition.
 Other Exhibitions
 About The Dancing Satyr
Satyr is known in the context of Greek and Roman myths, as a spirit of forests (hill and dale) who has pointed ears and a tail, serving Dionysos (Bacchus), the god of wine and fertility.

Although The Dancing Satyr has lost both of its arms and right leg as well as its tail, this statue beautifully captures the moment at which a drunken and rapturous Satyr is about to leap into the air. It is not too difficult to assume that it had kantharos, a large handled wine cup in its left hand and in its right hand thyrsus, a holy staff which belonged to Dionysius.

Looking at the statue as a whole we quickly realize that it was produced separately. The lost wax process all separately cast its head, chest, arms and legs thigh downward and they were subsequently welded together to make them into one final piece. Its facial expression as well as hair was directly engraved into the bronze to disclose finest and minute details and some of its flocks trailing in the wind at the back of its head were separately produced and welded to its head. Its eyeballs were inlaid in white alabaster, but its pupils are missing.

© Marco Delogu