This small mask with pierced eyes represents the head of a bearded god with a drooping moustache, two rows of curls and a vine branch in his hair. All these elements strongly recall the physiognomy of the joyful Greek god Dionysus, who is associated with wine and orgies. Even before the Hellenistic period, Dionysus and the Satyrs in his retinue were depicted in Phoenician sealing art, sometimes with drinking vessels in their hands. Ba'al Markod, God of Dance, was possibly his counterpart in Phoenician art, where similar small masks have been found in the sanctuaries of Amrit and Bostan ech-Sheikh near Sidon. A perforation in the clay mass at the top of the back indicates that they decorated the walls of temples (during certain rituals) or were hung from the brunches during open-air worship practices. E.G.