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Statuette of horse and rider
Greek
Archaic Period
about 525 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Bronze
Dimensions
Overall: 11.5 x 12.4 x 5.5 cm (4 1/2 x 4 7/8 x 2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900
Accession Number03.993
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Catalogue Raisonné
Greek, Etruscan, & Roman Bronzes (MFA), no. 032; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 118 (additional published references).
DescriptionA nude youth on horseback. The feet below the knees and tail of the horse are missing, as is the left foot of the rider. The horse is depicted in mid-stride, with its left foreleg raised. The horse’s bridle is rendered with meticulous attention to detail. The youth gathers the reins in his left hand. A perforation in the right hand indicates that it originally held an unknown object, perhaps a palm branch to symbolize his victory in an athletic contest. The figurine probably represents a victor of an athletic competition. Olive-green patina. Some corrosion.
ProvenanceBy 1903: with Edward Perry Warren (bought in London; said to come from Mantineia in Arcadia); purchased by MFA from Edward Perry Warren, March 1903