This dancing faun is now more precisely identified as a satyr. Satyrs are roguish figures from ancient mythology and literature known for their love of wine, music, and mischief. This satyr is simultaneously playing the ‘crotala’ (similar to cymbals) in his hands and the ‘scabellum’ under his right foot. This is an instrument with a metal plate that would have made a noise rather like a modern tap shoe. His ‘faun’ features are visible in the tiny horns above his forehead.

Cipriani’s Faun is based on a Hellenistic statue that has been on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence since the 17th century, in 1688 the sculpture was in the Tribuna of the Uffizi. In September 1800 the sculpture was sent to Palermo along with other treasures to avoid plunder by the French army, but it was returned to the Tribuna in 1803. Such copies of Greco-Roman statuary were popular among contemporary wealthy art collectors who wanted their own versions of ancient art seen during their travels in Europe and Greece on what was known as the “grand tour.”