Amber Horse Head
Prestige good
Isturitz type, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Magdalenian
21 000 to 14 000 years
There a few rare but remarkable objects without any apparent function, that were shaped, sculpted, or engraved to impose a unique idea expressed in their form and the talent of the artists who conceived them.
Y. Taborin, Langage sans parole. La parure aux temps préhistoriques. La maison des roches, 2004. .
Commentary :
Portable art objects, such as this horse protome, are small pieces without a clear utilitarian function.
They are transportable and made from stone, bone, reindeer antler and ivory. Amber - a fossilised resin – was sought after for its golden transparency when polished.
During the Magdalenian, 15 000 years ago, mobiliary art was inspired by animal motifs, especially large herbivores.
These animals were fundamental to the survival of hunting communities, while at the same time feeding their cultural expressions and imagination.