“Protome of a Horse (Medici - Riccardi Head)”, Greek art, 340 - 330, partially gilded bronze.The horse's head has a gaping mouth, stretched by the bit, with open lips revealing the teeth and flared nostrils. The relief of the neck veins is a realist touch. It was intended to be part of a life-size equestrian statue.It belonged to the Medici family, from whom it was temporarily confiscated from 1495 to 1512. In 1672, it was installed as the mouth of a fountain in the garden of the Medici-Riccardi palace. In 1890, it was moved from the Uffizi to the Archaeological Museum.
