The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Statuette of a Horse

750–725 BCE

Greek, Geometric, probably Arcadian

bronze
Overall: 7.3 cm (2 7/8 in.)
Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Dr. Leo Mildenberg in memory of John D. Cooney 1991.49
Location: 102B Greek

Did You Know?

Horses were among the most frequently depicted creatures in the Greek Geometric period.

Description

A small but powerful status symbol, this solid-cast horse may have served as a dedication in a Greek religious sanctuary. The long tail helps to steady the figurine for standing, but the perforated base also suggests suspension, perhaps from a tree or sanctuary structure. With their balanced proportions and radically stylized silhouettes, such horses epitomize the clarity of Greek Geometric design.
  • Kozloff, Ariellé P. "Notable Acquisitions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 78, no. 3 (1991): 63-147. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 68 www.jstor.org
    Kozloff, Arielle, and Nino Urushadze. "Animal Style Bronze Art and Its Closest Parallels: A Bronze Belt and Axe Head." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 81, no. 5 (1994): 118-39. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 126 www.jstor.org
  • Notable Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 15, 1991).
  • {{cite web|title=Statuette of a Horse|url=false|author=|year=750–725 BCE|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.49