4th century B.C.
Gilded silver
H. 20.8 cm, Mouth dia. 10.0 cm
This rhyton is fitted with a finial shaped like the forequarters of a horse. The cup portion of the rhyton is decorated with vertical grooves, and the mouth rim area is surrounded by a band of ivy. The horse's two legs are extended to the front in a leaping posture, and there is a spout between the legs. The forehead section of mane has been clumped into a pillar-like form, while the rest of the mane has been cropped close to the back of the head and neck to stand in a short board-like fashion. The lowest section of mane has been divided into three long strands which hang down on either side of the horse's withers. The head is fitted with a bridle and a bell-like form hangs from the chest band in the middle of the horse's chest. Overall the rhyton is covered in a blackish tarnish, but we can see the detailed expression of the face and the correct musculature of the body beneath the tarnish. The important areas have been decorated with gilding. The horse's pose, with head pointing almost directly down, the form of the mane, and the musculature of the horse's upper legs all resemble the horses depicted in the relief carvings at Persepolis which are characteristic of Achaemenid period style. On the other hand, the band of ivy decoration around the rhyton's mouth rim and the realistic formation of the horse's body are both Greek stylistic elements. The fusion of these two styles led to the creation of this rhyton characterized by vibrant power and regularly
formed elegance.
Another rhyton that is extremely close to this work in style is a silver rhyton with horse finial which was excavated in Borovo, Bulgaria. This work from Borovo dates from the era of Kotys I of the Trachian culture, in other words, the first half of the 4th century BC. The Borovo horse is not fitted with a harness, but the otherwise shared handling of details suggests that the two works may have been created by the same workshop.
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