What large ancient Roman marble krater with Bacchic reliefs is in the Louvre?

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The large ancient Roman marble krater with Bacchic reliefs in the Louvre is the Borghese Vase.

The Borghese Vase is a monumental bell-shaped krater carved in Athens from Pentelic marble during the second half of the first century BC. Its deep frieze depicts a Bacchic procession, or thiasus, associated with Dionysus, with music-making and draped mythological figures in lively relief.

The vase stands about 1.72 metres tall and has a diameter of roughly 1.35 metres. It was rediscovered in 1566 in a Roman garden occupying part of the ancient Gardens of Sallust. The Borghese family acquired it, giving the vase its familiar name, and it became one of the most admired antique vessels in European collections.

Napoleon bought it from Camillo Borghese in 1808, and it has been displayed in the Louvre since 1811. A frequent confusion is with the Medici Vase: both are famous ancient marble vessels, but the Borghese Vase is distinguished by its bell-krater form and Dionysian reliefs. The Warren Cup and Portland Vase are unrelated objects.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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