Boeotian Terracotta Horse with Rider

Culture: Greek/Boeotian

Period: 6th century B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 13.3 cm x 14 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 2551

Provenance: German private collection J. Gutbrod (dies 2017), acquired in the 1960s to 1990s in the German art market. Thence by descent to Micaela Gutbrod, Munich.

Condition: Intact

Description: Large, stylized terracotta statuette of a horse with rider. The animal with straight legs, raised and slightly stretched out tail and a semi-circular, pointy mane. The eyes are painted as black dots, framed by a black circle. The body is decorated with red wavy and black lines. The rider, also stylized with a bird’s head, black dotted eyes and long nose, has his arms on the neck of the animal. As if he emerges from the back of the horse, his legs are not worked out. The body of the rider is also decorated with black lines. An old collection number is written in pencil on the underside of the horse on the belly. Statues such as the present one originate from a period where the owner of a horse is associated with a high social rank. They were found in tombs but also in temples. See for the type the statuette in the Museum of Fine Art in Budapest with the inventory number 51.137.