Horse-Shaped Drinking Vessel
Iran, Sasanian, 3rd-4th Century
Silver, partially gilt
Overall: 12 x 10.8 x 32.7 cm (4 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 12 7/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1964.41
102A Ancient Near East
The horse was a favorite artistic subject in ancient Iran, where horsebreeding flourished. This muscular Sasanian stallion was descended from the royal and sacred Nisean breed of the Achaemenian Persians. Although Sasanian horse-trappings were elaborate, they did not include stirrups for mounting. In this rendition, the steed lies still, as camels in the Near East do today, waiting for its rider to mount. The medallions on each shoulder contain busts, perhaps of rulers of different parts of the Sasanian Empire, holding their rings of authority.
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 14 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 7 archive.org
Kosmin, Paul. "Banqueting on the Move." In Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings.Susanne Ebbinghaus,ed., 310-341. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Art Museums, 2018. Reproduced: p. 324, fig. 7.18
Year in Review (1964). The Cleveland Museum of Art (January 1-31, 1965).
Juxtapositions. The Cleveland Museum of Art (September 11-October 10, 1965).
Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art (September 24-November 16, 1975).
All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).
{{cite web|title=Horse-Shaped Drinking Vessel|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1964.41|year=200-325|access-date=19 July 2019|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Near Eastern Art
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
John L. Severance Fund