Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

The heavy ring opens into a large, oval bezel into which the intaglio is set. The exterior of the hoop is rounded, the interior is flattened. An impression of the intaglio shows a horseman in three-quarter view toward the left. He carries a spear, which crosses behind the horse’s neck and hindquarters. His chiton leaves his right shoulder bare; on his legs he seems to be wearing trousers and boots. His cloak trails in the wind behind him, and there appears to be a wreath upon his head. The stallion’s mane and tail curl down in fluid strands; his head turns in a sudden move to the left. A saddle blanket lies over the horse’s back, a tassel hanging before its hindquarters. The strong foreshortening and the sudden forward movement out of the background give distinction to this Early Hellenistic gemstone, and the fine, exacting execution of details marks the style of the gemcutter.