Harvard Art Museums > 1960.634: Finger Ring Engraved with a Man Riding a Horse Jewelry Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Finger Ring Engraved with a Man Riding a Horse , 1960.634,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 20, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/304010. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1960.634 Title Finger Ring Engraved with a Man Riding a Horse Other Titles Former Title: Seal Ring with Man Riding Horse Classification Jewelry Work Type ring Date mid 4th-3rd century BCE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe, Northern Greece? Period Classical period, Late, to Hellenistic Culture Greek Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/304010 Physical Descriptions Medium Copper alloy Technique Cast, lost-wax process Dimensions 1.9 x 2.2 x 2.3 cm (3/4 x 7/8 x 7/8 in.) Technical Details Technical Observations: The patina is green and red with brown accretions and areas of green. Corrosion products obscure some detail. The ring appears to be “as excavated;” there is no evidence of cleaning. The ring was solid cast in one piece. The wax model from which it was made could have been cast or worked directly or both. The condition of the surface prevents the determination of which technique was used. It does not appear to have details fine enough to indicate cold working of the bronze. Henry Lie (submitted 2002) Provenance Recorded Ownership History David M. Robinson, Baltimore, MD, (by 1949), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1960. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of David M. Robinson Accession Year 1960 Object Number 1960.634 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums In the ring’s current state of preservation, the figure riding the horse is difficult to make out. The horse appears to be rearing but may be rampant (1). The front legs are raised high in the air, one deeply arched. Some of the musculature of the horse is evident, especially in the upper hind legs. The tail is also strongly arched. A ground line is indicated. The scene could simply portray an equestrian figure, or it could represent a military victory, a hunt, or, less likely, an agonistic competition or even a myth. The bezel has a rounded form with a hoop, and the workmanship of the engraving is summary. NOTES: 1. Compare a ring of similar size and motif in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 67.37.2. Seán Hemingway Publication History Fogg Art Museum, The David Moore Robinson Bequest of Classical Art and Antiquities, A Special Exhibition, exh. cat., Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, 1961), p. 42, no. 387. Subjects and Contexts Ancient Bronzes Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
