CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN BRONZE HORSE
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
6 ¾ in. (17.2 cm) long

Provenance

Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva; thence by descent to the present owner.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer Price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the Buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Conditions of sale

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Claudio Corsi Specialist, Head of Department

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Lot Essay

During the Classical period, figures of horses were primarily religious in nature. Bronze horses or horse-and-rider groups were typically placed on the tops of columns set up at sanctuaries by the animal's owner in commemoration of one or more victories in the horse races held at the Panhellenic sanctuaries in Greece. This practice was continued by the Romans, but smaller figures began to be produced that were used to decorate private homes. For another bronze horse, see acc. no. 2000.523 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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