Terra Sigillata Fragment from a Bowl

Since the dawn of time, images of the hunt have stood as metaphors for bravery and nobility. One thinks of the great hunting friezes of the Persian kings, or those of the Egyptian Pharaohs. This exquisite tondo fragment, from the bottom of the large, shallow bowl, fits into the rich Hellenistic tradition, when hunting scenes achieved a lively, naturalistic brilliance. An Amazon–a female warrior–on a galloping horse turns to confront a lion that has attacked her mount's flank. Even after the passage of centuries, we are caught up in the excitement of the moment.