Statuette of a Horse
750-730 BCE
Bronze
8.2 × 2.6 cm (3.2 × 1 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
This small statuette was created in Greece around the time of the first Olympic games (776 BCE). It was made as a gift for a god and was probably deposited at a religious site. Devotional gifts took many forms, but statuettes of horses were especially popular because the creatures were symbols of affluence. Following the stylistic preference of the time, the sculptor used a few simple shapes to capture the animal’s essence.
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