A marble sculpture from ancient Rome depicting a young satyr, approximately 60 cm (24 inches) in height, adorned with a theatre mask representing the elder satyr Silenus. This piece, dated to the 1st century AD, forms part of the antiquities collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Although this motif is frequently observed in relief sculptures, notably on sarcophagi and gemstones, this is the sole extant example in the round.
The sculpture was discovered on the grounds of the Villa Ludovisi, also known as the ancient Gardens of Sallust or Horti Sallustiani, in Rome. It subsequently became part of the collection of Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, who later became Pope Gregory XV.
The work underwent restoration by Alessandro Algardi in 1628; Algardi, alongside Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is regarded as one of the most prominent sculptors of the Baroque period in Rome.
It is believed that the artefact, possibly originating from an ancient Roman statuary group, initially involved a counterpart figure. Iconographical evidence suggests the presence of another child satyr, potentially seated and depicted as frightened by the young satyr.
The latter is shown holding his hand through the mouth of the mask to frighten his companion.
You can observe the details of the lower part of the face of the small satyr, including its grinning mouth, through the "eyes" of the mask.
Satyrs were mischievous and playful followers of Dionysus, the ancient God of wine and theatre; therefore, it is not unexpected to find one wearing a Silenus mask.

Silenus is a figure in Greek mythology, characterised as a rustic and wild deity, as well as an educator of Dionysus. He corresponds to the ancient rustic god associated with winemaking and drunkenness.
Mythologically, Silenus embodied the spirit of the grape pressing dance, deriving its name from the words seiô, meaning "to move back and forth," and lênos, meaning "the trough of wine."
As a minor deity of the woods, Silenus was often depicted as having a wild and lascivious nature, frequently assimilated with the Satyr; hence, the term Silenus is also used to denote an elderly Satyr, known as Papposilenus.
The subject appears as an ordinary chubby child, except for the small tuft on the tail protruding from the lower part of the back, which signifies its nature: satyrs are part human and part animal, and are sometimes depicted with horns, ears, legs, and a goat's tail.
The artefact has passed through many owners: Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, who later became Pope Gregory XV, initially owned it; subsequently, it was possessed by Giambattista Ludovisi in the second half of the seventeenth century. It was later donated to the renowned lawyer and notary Giovanni Paolo Quintili in 1705, then to Sabina Angela Quintili del Cinque. In 1900, it was donated to the Istituto S. Alessio in Rome, and later sold in 1922 to Jacob Hirsch, a Swiss collector. In 2013, it was sold for $ 3,525,000 through Sotheby's, a London auction house, to the Art Institute of Chicago.