This portrayal of Bacchus places the god of wine, revelry, and immortality on the shell of a turtle. Bacchus' left foot is up in the air behind him; his left hand is behind his back holding a staff that is adorned by a ribbon and bow and topped by a green pine cone; his right hand is extended forward and holds an ivy-entwined wine chalice, which he is gazing towards. He is precariously balanced on his right foot. Bacchus is wearing a business tie that is flying over his left shoulder. His waist is encircled by grape clusters and leaves that are embellished with small pine cones and snail shells. His head bears a ribbon-wrapped crown of grape clusters, pine cones, and snails. There is a sash on his chest that crosses diagonally from right to left. In the front is written: "In Vino Felicitas" (In Wine Happiness); in the back, instead: "In Vino Veritas" (In Wine Truth). The sole of the upturned left sandal is encrusted with tiny letters in an arbitrary configuration. The turtle is looking up at this Bacchus personage who stands on her back. On the turtle's shell is a relief depiction of a portion of the map of the world.
Bacchus himself is the god of fertility, wine, immortality, and ecstatic liberation from everyday identity. This figure stands on one foot in a carefree gesture, as if he is about to leap or perhaps fall. His flying business tie, with gold grape cluster tie jewels, shows us that he has thrown caution to the winds- no more "business as usual." The inclusion of multiple grape clusters and leaves is a clear reference to Bacchus' association with wine, while the ivy encircling his wine chalice and the many pine cones around his waist and in his crown, and the big green one at the tip of of his staff, refer to his immortality. Ivy is also a mild intoxicant and a symbol of everlasting life. Ancient depictions of Bacchus often show him not only with grapes but also with ivy and pine cones.
The sash he wears across his naked torso boasts: "In Wine Happiness" in the front for all to see, but in the back comes perhaps the flip side of the coin: "In Wine Truth." With the jewel-like grape cluster medallion closing the sash at his waist, this gilded adornment reminds us of a modern-day politician, or even a beauty queen...but we mustn't laugh at Bacchus... Bacchus' left foot is up in the air behind him in a coy pose that could cost him his equilibrium. On the sole of his sandal we find a chaos of alphabet soup letters. This shows us the nonsense of words and language, the schooled form of "proper expression."
His left hand is clutching a long staff which- hopefully- will aid his balance. This is Bacchus' magic wand- the Thyrsus- which is sometimes depicted on ancient Greek urns and drawings as a fennel rod with a bunch of ivy leaves attached to the tip; entwined with grape vines, oak leaves, or ivy; a knot of ribbons, a bow; or surmounted by a large green pine cone. It is a phallic symbol, the life-force, which is chiefly associated with Bacchus but is also found in Egypt, Phoenicia, and among the ancient Hebrews. Bacchus and his followers used the Thyrsus to implement ecstatic frenzy, bloody revenge, and ritual madness.
The land snails that are hiding around the grape clusters and the more evident sea snails on his right forearm, chalice and magic staff, represent several elements related to Bacchus. First, they show his connection to the earth and sea, and make us think of his plantlike links to nature. The snail is also a bisexual creature, which recalls Bacchus' ambiguous sexuality. And then- never laughing at our god- we note that a personage that is perched on a turtle shell and encrusted with snails may not be as swift as he thinks he is.
The turtle is the universal symbol of the heavens and the earth. It is associated with longevity, strength, and endurance. To the Native Americans: The waters, moon, Earth Mother, beginning of creation and time, immortality, fecundity, regeneration. The turtle supports the world with its four feet as the four corners of the earth. Graeco-Roman: The feminine principle, fertility of the waters, an attribute of Venus who rose from the sea. Hindu: The lower shell is the terrestrial world and the upper shell is celestial. Taoist: Its shape symbolizes the Great Triad or the entire cosmos, with the dome-shaped back as the sky, the body in the middle as earth or as man- the mediator, and its under shell as the waters. The turtle also has a phallic significance. So, we now know why Bacchus' turtle has a map of the world on her shell and looks up at him in dismay.