Cameo with Pan, a Maenad, a Satyr and a Goat inset Into a Ring

The cameo is engraved with the image of Pan attempting to butt horns with a goat. Pan is restrained by a seated maenad, the goat by a young satyr. The maenad is nude except for the drapery over her left leg. She holds Pan's hands behind his back, and a filleted thyrsos rests against her shoulder. A tree on the right bends over the main scene, which is set on a thick groundline. The ring is hollow, the bottom of the bezel is faceted, and the hoop is thin.

The style and subject are close to others by the artist Sostratos, who signs at least three cameos and an intaglio. Characteristic of the works of Sostratos and his workshop is the preference for Dionysiac scenes and the portrayal of figures in complex poses. Especially distinctive is the use of tiny drilled ‘pellets’ for details, a technique rarely found on other cameos.