In 2018, archaeologists discovered a bronze statuette of an armed rider on horseback, thought to have been made around 500 BC in Babunjë, Albania, a region once populated by Greek colonists. Conservators at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles have collaborated with the Albania Archaeological Institute in Tirana to restore the object, and are now offering a glimpse of the usually unseen – and unsung – processes of analysing, cleaning and preserving such a piece. Learn more about both the equestrian statuette and the conservation process itself through a display featuring other small bronze works from the period (until 29 January 2024). Find out more on the Getty’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
Statuette of a Horse and Rider (520–500 BC). Albanian Institute of Archaeology, Tirana
Statuette of a Horse and Rider (520–500 BC). Albanian Institute of Archaeology, Tirana
Statuette of a Horse and Rider (520–500 BC). Albanian Institute of Archaeology, Tirana