This Friday the 13th we're taking a look at ancient monsters as part of #ConnectingCollections! ⠀ ⠀ In this Roman wall painting from the Bay of Naples in Italy, two-winged sea monsters with the heads and foreparts of griffins serve as framing devices for a central floral element. Did you know the earliest depictions of griffins come from ancient Iran and spread throughout the Mediterranean?⠀ ⠀ Hybrid sea monsters also appeared in art in Gandhara (present-day Pakistan), where multiple cultural influences brought Greek, Parthian, and Scythian elements together. On this second image of a Gandharan dish in the metmuseum, a winged Eros rides a sea monster with the head and forepart of a lion. ⠀ ⠀ The god Dionysos, who, according to some traditions, journeyed through western Asia and India, was often shown riding a panther or lion. Dionysiac processions were accompanied by winged erotes, and this scene may reference the cult of Dionysus.