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Description: | Statue of a cast copper-alloy horse. The horse has a solid plain cylindrical body (30mm long, 9mm wide, 11mm tall), which is slightly concave in the centre. There is a set of legs at either end which are made from a single rectangular strip that runs straight down from either terminal of the body (13mm tall, 7mm wide, 2mm thick). There is slight evidence that there may have been a grooved line running down the centre of each of the rectangular plates denoting a pair of legs for both the front and hind section. On the hind section of the body, on the top part of the terminal there is a slight bump, which may represent a tail. The top of the front section of the body is expanded to form a neck. The head (9mm long, 5mm wide, 8mm tall) is simple with a horizontal slot for a mouth, a triangular snout, which is stepped, two diagonal slots representing the eyes and a rectangular projection behind which has a slot running down the centre representing the ears. There is a collar behind the head. There is an oval hole (4mm by 5mm) drilled through the body, one-third up from the head, off centre. This may have originally been a fitting to mount a figure, possibly a mounted warrior. The artefact is in good stable condition. However, it is missing almost all of its original surface and has a mid to light green patina. 42mm long, 32mm tall, 9mm wide.There are a number of similar examples found over much of Europe, an example made of clay from Speikern in Germany and dates to the sixth century BC (Aldhouse-Green, 1992, 57). Another example of a small bronze horseman was found at Brigstock, Northants and wears a cavalry-type helmet, this example was dated using pottery to the second century AD (Ross, 1967, 49). There are a number of similar examples in this country and is quite possible that these were votive offerings to a particular deity. The free-standing votive examples date to the early to middle Roman period, the most likely for this example.See NMGW-E6C122 for another similarly perforated figurine, with a tentative identification as a medieval Agnus Dei figurine.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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