A Modern Tribute: The Issy Granger Marsyas Jug
Our Marsyas Jug brings this mythological figure out of museums and into the home.
Key Features:
• A hand-carved relief of Marsyas, created with modern ceramicists.
• Inspired by ancient storytelling on pottery, yet reimagined with a contemporary aesthetic.
• Part of a trio of designs, representing an artistic collaboration spanning millennia: from Greek sculptors to Issy’s drawings, and finally the craftspeople who created each jug by hand.
This jug is more than tableware - it is a statement piece that connects your home to the living legacy of myth and art history. By representing Marsyas in our collection, we offer you the chance to celebrate a story that has inspired artists for centuries while welcoming a fragment of that history into your everyday life.
Questions about Marsyas
Who was Marsyas in Greek mythology?
Marsyas was a satyr - half-man, half-goat - and a follower of Dionysus (Bacchus in Roman mythology). He is best known for discovering the flute (aulos) and for challenging Apollo, the god of music, to a contest.
What is the story of Marsyas and Apollo?
Marsyas found the flute that Athena had discarded and became a master at playing it. Feeling confident, he challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Although Marsyas played beautifully, Apollo ultimately won by adding his voice to his lyre performance - something Marsyas could not match. For his audacity, Apollo punished him harshly by flaying him alive!
Why is Marsyas important in art and mythology?
Marsyas represents both festivity and tragedy. As a satyr, he embodies joy, music, and the unrestrained spirit of Dionysian revelry. Yet his myth also serves as a cautionary tale about hubris and the limits of human ambition. Artists across history, from ancient sculptors to Renaissance painters like Titian and Ribera have revisited Marsyas’ story.
How was Marsyas represented in ancient art?
In Greek and Roman art, Marsyas often appears as part of Dionysian scenes on vases and ceramics, or bound in sculpture awaiting Apollo’s punishment. His image symbolises both the pleasures of music and the consequences of pride.
What does the Issy Granger Marsyas Jug represent?
The Marsyas Jug is our modern reinterpretation of this mythological figure, created as a piece of functional art. Hand-carved in relief, it connects the ancient tradition of storytelling on ceramics with contemporary design. It embodies festivity, creativity, and the timeless link between myth and home.
