Bronze boat with oxidised silver and gold leaf. The boat is mounted on a limestone base.
The Greek myth of Dionysus and the pirates. On his return from India Dionysus was captured by pirates who thought he looked wealthy and could be used for ransom. They bound him causing him to become angry, so he turned all of the crew except for one (who recognised him as a god) into dolphins. Dionysus then magically transformed the mast into a vine laden with grapes and entwined ivy.
The Mast
The vine leaves are decorated with 23ct red gold leaf.
The Bow
Dionysus' thyrsus is made of oxidised silver with gold leaf applied to the leaves and pine cones. The amphorus jars are made of bronze and a copy of a kylix (wine cup) is made of copper depicting Dionysus in a boat and the pirates transformed into dolphins.
