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Lot 5C
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Rare Romano Egyptian Pottery Horse w/ Sun Disc
Rare Romano Egyptian Pottery Horse w/ Sun Disc
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Description:

Egypt, Romano-Egyptian Period, ca. 30 BCE to 2nd century CE. A hollow-molded pottery horse figurine standing atop all four legs and with a sun disc emanating from the top of the brow, all bearing remains of white pigment. The horse's crest rises high on its neck behind the unusual sun disc, and the muscular face tapers to a thick snout. Figural depictions of horses are far less common than other animals, and the inclusion of the sun disc is perhaps an attempt at syncretism by artisans in Roman-controlled Egypt. Size: 4.1" L x 1.3" W x 4.25" H (10.4 cm x 3.3 cm x 10.8 cm)

According to scholar Dorothea Arnold, "The horse is a relative latecomer to the Egyptian menagerie. The earliest skeleton found in the Nile valley may date to the seventeenth century B.C. In ancient literature and relief art, horses first appeared in connection with the expulsion of the Asiatic rulers, the Hyksos, which occurred from the late Seventeenth to the early Eighteenth Dynasty (ca. 1550 B.C.). After the defeat of the Hyksos the horse-drawn chariot became the predominant fighting machine of Egypt's military, the official conveyance of her kings, and an efficient vehicle for hunting. Horseback riding, however, remained a rarity until Ptolemaic times." (Arnold, Dorothea. "An Egyptian Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 1995, Vol. LII, no. 4, p. 55)

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired before 2000

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#179439

  • Condition: Repaired at neck with light adhesive residue along break lines. Earthen deposits, wear to pigment, and softening to finer details, otherwise in great condition. Nice preservation to equine form.

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August 18, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000