Near Eastern-Archaic Eastern Greek Bronze Statuette of a Horse

£ 350.00

An ancient Near Eastern- Archaic Eastern Greek cast bronze figurine of a horse, portrayed standing on four shorts legs and featuring an elongated, full body.  Although the rendering of facial and anatomical details shows a strict stylisation, the fullness of the animal’s body might be tending through a more distinct naturalism.

Date: Circa 8th-6th century BC
Condition: Fine, with green patina and earthly encrustations to the surface.

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SKU: LD-116 Category: Tags: , ,

Statuettes of local fauna, such as this interesting example, have been largely recovered from ancient burials. Horses especially, were considered animals of enormous importance in ancient cultures. Such statuettes would have also been placed in temples and shrines as votive offerings. Interestingly, bronze horses of a similar style have been recovered across different ancient cultures, such as Urartian, Luristan and Archaic Greek. This can be explained by the fact that even in an archaic period such as the first millennium BC, artistic and commercial exchanges happen between cultures of different geographical areas.

Weight 20.6 g
Dimensions W 3.8 x H 2.8 cm
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Reference: For similar: The British Museum, London, item 1951,0606.8 .