Important bas-relief celtic art. Northern Gaul or Belgium.

Large bas-relief carved in stone representing a rider equipped with an imposing oval shield. The rider wears a horned helmet with conical horns, worn low on the forehead, and equipped with a neck protector. The horse, faithful to the aesthetic canons of the Iron Age in Gaul, is distinguished by a chest with curvilinear contours and a stylized head. The shield, covering the entire body, is decorated with prominent rivets around its edge and a richly decorated umbo. The latter presents a double artistic interpretation, characteristic of the Iron Age, La Tène culture: a stylized face occupying the entire surface and a character with raised arms, with details engraved at the level of the face.

This type of representation is known in the La Tène period on bronze plaques or anthropomorphic sword handles. This type of oval shield, without spina, is also known in the British Isles and in northern Gaul, cultures with close links. The horned helmet is one of the most characteristic elements of this sculpture and can be compared to the horned helmet of Waterloo Bridge found in the Thames. Large in size, this sculpture is a rare example of sculpture from northern Gaul. Back of the sculpture raw. Provenance: Belgian collection.
Related works: Horned helmet from Waterloo Bridge, 150-50 BC, British Museum Inv 1004.1 - Decoration of the umbo, Daggers with anthropomorphic handles, National Archaeology Museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Inv. MAN28216, MAN31046, MAN83734 - Shield, warrior of Vachères, Calvet Museum, Avignon, France Inv. G 136c.
Works consulted: The armament of the Celts in Northern Gaul at the end of the Gallic era, Revue archéologique de Picardie 1996 - Die Welt der Kelten, Exhibition catalogue Landesmuseums Baden-Württember, Karlsruhe 2012.

Origin: Gaul, Northern France or Belgium.

Medium: Stone

Size: H: 43 cm, L: 42.5 cm.

Period: 2nd-1st Century BC.

Condition: Erosion

Price: on demand

Ref.251