Roman marble horse muzzle fragment, excavated in Smyrna

R70

£550.00

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A fine marble fragment forming the tip of a horse’s muzzle with flaring nostrils and exposed teeth. The carving is less detailed to one side indicating that the fragment originates from a relief, possibly a sarcophagus depicting a cavalry battle scene.

Culture
Roman, 1st or 2nd Century AD; reputedly found near Smyrna in Anatolia

Size
4.2 x 8.8 cms, 6cms including stand

Condition
Fragment as seen in the photographs, mounted on a black painted display block

Provenance
Ex. collection: Paul Gaudin (1858-1921), France; thence by family descent. Collected in Anatolia between 1899-1904. Paul Gaudin was an engineer and antiquary who became an archaeologist in the course of his work in Turkey and is credited with the discovery of Yortan, an important Bronze Age site closely associated with Troy. Antiquities excavated by Gaudin are to be found in several prominent collections including the Musee de Louvre and British Museum.

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