Figurine of a rider on a horse

This terracotta equestrian figurine, with black and red painted decoration on an ochre-brown slip, is an outstanding example of Cypriot Bichrome Ware. Specific elements, such as the schematic features of the horse and the rider with the conical cap, point to its provenance from a workshop at Idalion or Salamis. Terracotta figurines of horsemen first appeared as offerings in Cypriot sanctuaries around the end of the Late Cypriot period (1650-1050 BC). They are rare in the Cypro-Geometric period (1050-750 BC), but become common both as votive offerings in sanctuaries of male deities and as grave goods, in the 8th c. BC and througout the Cypro-Archaic period (750-480 BC). This period is linked with the rise of the aristocracy, when ownership and use of a horse - not necessarily for warfare but also in daily life and in ceremonies - was a privilege of the social elite.