Loading, please wait...
LOT 0504
Archaic Greek Terracotta Figure of Mounted Warrior with Shield
7TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.
5 3/4 in. (275 grams total, 14.5 cm high including stand).
The figure comprising a stylised horse with elongated neck, mounted by a bearded rider figure holding a shield; mounted on a custom-made display stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired before 1990.
From an old German collection.
Cf. Marantidou, P., Terracotta statues and figurines of Cypriote type found in the Aegean. Provenance studies, Limassol, 2009, pls.XIII no.SAH69, XXXII, no.CYP50, for the type.
FootnotesTerracotta figurines of horse and rider were common grave offerings in Boeotia, northwest of Attica, particularly during the 6th century B.C. Representations of warriors on horseback were already widespread in the Geometric Period, and widely used in Cyprus during this period. The rider, although influenced by Cypriot designs, does not show typical Cypriot characteristics.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0504
Archaic Greek Terracotta Figure of Mounted Warrior with Shield
Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
-
Hellenistic Terracotta Head of the Goddess Demeter
Circa 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Hollow-formed and with rounded facial features; wavy hair with central partition, dressed with a tall diadem. 74 grams total, 78 mm high
UK private collection. Acquired Spink, York, UK, 2009. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.
The head is probably from a cult statuette of Demeter. Statuettes of the goddess, seated or standing, or even busts, are well documented in the south of Italy, both among the Greek colonists and the local populations; many have been excavated from regional sanctuaries. -
Greek Terracotta Protome Mask
Late 6th-early 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Modelled as a female head with rounded oval face, slightly bulging eyes and pronounced chin, indistinct smiling mouth with thin lips, outline of ears; low straight polos with fastening hole. 130 grams, 12 cm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
The figure belongs to a common type known from mainland Greece and the islands. The head clearly shows the so-called 'Archaic smile' visible on the dedicatory protomes of the same typology. They were terracotta votive offerings attached with a nail to the shrine of a goddess for ex-voto or to receive the grace of the represented goddess (Demeter?). -
Parthian Terracotta Statuette Group
3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Hollow-formed, comprising: a rider on a rearing horse with chlamys extended in the wind, and wearing wide Persian trousers (saravara), red pigment in the field; Zeus enthroned, facing with an eagle at his feet, hole to the reverse. 598 grams total, 15.5 cm each
Ex private European collection. with Genève Enchères, 14 December 2017, lot 863.
The costume of Parthian nobles consisted of a tunic or wrapped jacket, trousers and boots/footwear, generally typical of a riding dress. Interestingly, the right side of the tunic was knee-length (such as those seen om early Sassanian noblemen depicted in the Persepolis graffiti) but the left side of the tunic, for many Parthian cavalrymen, appeared shorter and only reached to the upper thigh.
