Ancient Greece, Cypriot Archaic, ca. 750 to 475 BCE. A hand-modeled terracotta horse and rider delineated in an abstract style characteristic of the Cypro-Archaic period of Iron Age Cyprus; note how the sculptor captured the action in this piece as the bearded, bareback rider holds onto the neck of horse with both hands. The horse, though seemingly stationary, presents an alert character with pointed ears, applied pellet wide eyes and curved tail. Riding horses, in warfare or for transport, was the privilege of an elite society at this time. The prevalence of such horse and rider figurines suggests a great amount of strife in Cyprus during the Iron Age Horse and rider figurines were particularly suited as offerings to a male divinity, and numerous examples have been found in the sanctuary of Apollo at Kourion (from Ancient Art From Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art). A superb example of this iconic form of Cypriot visual culture. Size: 5.75" L x 4.75" H (14.6 cm x 12.1 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Arthur L. Jacobs, New York, NY Collection

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