Works of Art
Greek Bronze Applique of a Horse and Rider
Period: Archaic Period, 6th century B.C.
Culture: Geometric to Archaic
Category: Array
Dimensions: Length: 7.4cm
Price: CHF 23000, USD 23000
Provenance: German art market, acquired in 1997.
Condition: Though fragmentary, with the rider's body and horse's legs and tail missing, the horse body and head is in good condition, with a nice light green patina.
Description
This superb bronze applique of a horse and rider is a solid cast applique. Its flat back clearly indicates that it was fixed to a large metal vase as an applique. The artistic quality of this bronze is remarkable: the surface, finely modeled, juxtaposes well-rounded volumes and depressions on the surface to very naturalistically express the musculature and the movements of the animal. One of the best examples of its type, it was certainly riveted to the neck of a large, archaic bronze crater similar to the one found at Vix (France) but made in Greece.
Bibliography
Exhibited:
Phoenix Ancient Art , "Les Animaux dans l'Antiquité", Geneva, march 2004, no.69
Parallels:
MITTEN D.G. et al. , "Master Bronzes from the Classical World", 1967, p. 67, n. 58
ROLLEY C., "Les bronzes grecs", Fribourg, 1983.