Heads of Two Horses and a Charioteer

New Kingdom, Amarna Period

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 121

Numerous representations of horse-drawn chariots are included in the official scenes at Amarna. Both the king and queen are shown driving themselves in what appears to be a mad dash to the Great Temple, their subjects racing behind. Here, although only the heads are preserved, it is evident that the pair of horses at the upper right are being reined in. Their ears are pricked forward, suggesting the alertness of spirited animals excited by the activity around them. The man just visible at the right edge of the relief is either driving another chariot or walking or standing beside the horses, perhaps attending them as a groom.

Heads of Two Horses and a Charioteer, Limestone, paint

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