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See the original at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
Bronze chariot inlaid with ivory
by Ancient Greek (Unknown), -600
Details
- Year
- -600
- Medium
- Bronze, ivory
- Size
- total H. 51 9/16 in. (130.9 cm) length of pole 82 1/4 in. (209 cm)
Ancient Greek Known as the Monteleone Chariot, this is the best-preserved Etruscan chariot from ancient Italy before the Roman period. Three bronze relief panels depict scenes from the life of Achilles: the center shows him receiving armor from his mother Thetis, the left shows him fighting Memnon, king of the Ethiopians, and the right shows him ascending on a chariot drawn by winged horses.
It was discovered accidentally in 1902 when a landowner in Monteleone di Spoleto was working his property and uncovered a subterranean tomb covered by a mound. The chariot held two people and was drawn by two horses roughly the size of modern ponies. Ivory inlays made it unusually luxurious, likely built for an important figure from southern Etruria.
The Met purchased it in 1903 through General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the museum's first director. It's in Gallery 170 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Total height is 51 9/16 inches with a pole length of 82 1/4 inches.
