from THETIS Cabinet
Handcrafted clay model of a chariot, based on a Cypro-Geometric prototype from Cyprus, ca. 850–750 BCE, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The model features a wheel-made chariot box, decorated with bold geometric patterns in black and earthy red tones on a warm pale clay surface. Its curved body is completed with two large painted wheels and two crossed wooden sticks that form the chariot structure. A small front handle allows the piece to be carried or pulled, emphasizing its character as a movable toy.
In Bronze Age Cyprus and the wider Greek world, chariots were used for both warfare and transport. In Cyprus, their practical and symbolic importance continued well into the first millennium BCE, perhaps as late as the fifth century BCE, while in Greece they had already lost their military role. Small terracotta chariot models, such as the ancient prototype, were probably offered as votive dedications.
The piece also recalls ancient childhood, as similar toy chariots are depicted on small choes, where boys are shown playing with wheeled carts. With its archaeological reference and playful character, it evokes both an ancient dedication and a child’s wheeled toy.
Dimensions approx : max L 28,5 cm, max W 18,5 cm, H 12,5 cm (chariot box L 15cm, W 15 cm, H 10 cm)