The god Dionysos is seated on the back of a panther, his upraised arm brandishing the thyrsus, the long staff twined with ivy tha was his usual emblem. His body and that of the panther are executed with white tiles, making them stand out against the black background, while the sculptural volumes are highlighted with chiaroscuro shading effected with grey pebbles. The outlines are details of the god's head, hand and feet are delineated with lead wire, while strips of fired clay were used in the areas of the eyes and curls. Green artificial pebbles are worked into the wreath and staff, and red ones ornament the trailing ribbons. The chief characteristics of this scene are the harmony of its composition, the calligraphic rendering of the details and the sensitive use of colour. The subject of Dionysos on a panther or in a chariot drawn by panthers, usually in a sanctuary and accompanied by his triumphal train, belonged to the cycle of the «manifest deities» commonly used on Attic pottery on the 4th century.