Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 5th to 4th century BCE. A remarkable pottery sculpture presenting the stylized form of a horse and rider. Highly abstract, the noble steed displays 4 nubbin legs, a triangular body that joins the body of its rider, a projecting, pointed snout, and perky ears. The rider's head rises from sloped shoulders positioned just above the head of the horse, exhibiting a mold-made visage of large, almond-shaped eyes and a naturalistic nose, all framed by a short beard and a lengthy moustache, and crowned by a sizeable, flat headdress. A fascinating figure from ancient Achaemenid culture! Size: 2.2" W x 3.7" H (5.6 cm x 9.4 cm)
Cf. the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 62.73.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired in the 1990s; ex-Robert Horbacz estate, New York, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#165995
Condition
Possible repairs to legs with restoration over break lines. Expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressively preserved detail and nice root marks in areas.