Bronze cast Horse & rider in bas-relief

[peanut]

I found this in my garden 10 years ago together with a Charles ll Farthing.
It was found outside the window  of a small private chapel believed to be from c 15-16th cent.

If you look closely you can just make out a tiny hole in 2x of the horses hooves which would accept short pieces of wire which could support the figure . They are the only visible potential attachment or  fixing points.

. The casting is very crude and the molten bronze has been poured into a mould but cooled too quickly so that the back of the  figure is uneven.

My best guess is a Medieval toy or possibly a pilgrim badge ?

Any suggestions very welcome.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57957957@N08/6478371359/#
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57957957@N08/6478433237/#

[Chef Geoff]

Your doing something wrong somewhere

[peanut]

Thanks Geoff. I usually use photobucket and copy the direct image link but these images are hosted by flickr and I just grabbed the only link they give. I used the so it should have worked ok ?
Think I have sorted it now . perhaps some kind soul could remove this post for me . Thank you.
Nick

[The Doc]

Here you go:

[Radnor Bandit (Ian)]

What is the scale of the graph paper ? I cant work the size out from your photos From a rough estimate if they are 3-4" I think it might be a horse brass (harness decoration)

[bymatt666 (byron)]

that's a great find.........byron

[peanut]

thanks Doc   how did you do that ?  

Sorry the scale is cm
weight 75gms
thickness max 7.2mm
length   78.4mm
height   approx 87mm (legs are buckled)

Thanks Byron ,I'd forgotten about this find to be honest. I'd like to find out a date and use for it if I can. If its Medieval I'll register it.

I've decided to dig the garden lawn over ....which gives me a perfect excuse to do a thorough search  

[Val Beechey]

Hi Nick
Do a Google search for Charles 1st paintings and click on the one by Anthony van Dyck. Unless I'm mistaken there is a very real resemblance there.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

I think it depicts someone from a few years before Charles I as the figure is wearing an Ruff which pins him to the period between roughly 1550-1620.

[peanut]

thanks Val ,any chance of a link ?  Is this the painting you were referring to ?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Anthonis_van_Dyck_046.jpg/475px-Anthonis_van_Dyck_046.jpg

[peanut]

I think it depicts someone from a few years before Charles I as the figure is wearing an Ruff which pins him to the period between roughly 1550-1620.

I think that you are right Geoff. The ruff is pretty  diagnostic as is the style of armour and horse equipment. I suspect its going to take a bit of research .
My feeling is that the figure is moddeled on someone pretty important and well known  because of the laurel type head adornment and armour.

It looks like he may be sporting a beard though I suppose it could be part of his visor I suppose?

mmmm could it be our dear old enry? Henry vlll ? the armour is certainly very similar as is the very distinctive ornate breast collar on the horse

[Chef Geoff]

But you would once again have the problem of the ruff (especially that size) I don't personally think he is wearing a helmet or if he is it doesn't fit with the armour of that period. The band or laurel on his head is not dissimilar to the one depicted by Laurence Olivier in Henry V, but how true to reality that was I don't know.
But of course it is just a representation OF not a direct likeness TO, so artistic licence is expected.

[peanut]

But you would once again have the problem of the ruff (especially that size) I don't personally think he is wearing a helmet or if he is it doesn't fit with the armour of that period. The band or laurel on his head is not dissimilar to the one depicted by Laurence Olivier in Henry V, but how true to reality that was I don't know.
But of course it is just a representation OF not a direct likeness TO, so artistic licence is expected.

I'm beginning to feel that It may not be a ruff afterall.Tis too shallow for a ruff methinks.     Perhaps it is the collar of the armour upon which sits the helmet .?

I'm not sure that they would have worn a ruff with armour on horseback and even a representation would have looked a bit silly at the time. Especially considering that it would have been an important well know figure and how vain they were back then about appearance

Judging by the considerable detail of the sculpting I would say that this figure is likely to have been very accuratly copied as apposed to representational.

Henry v thats an excellent  idea . I'm now also thinking   Plantagenet !   

[Chef Geoff]

No, I think Tudor/Stuart is the period and it would only be representational. One thing we tend to forget in our multi media world is that 99% of people would never see any of the famous people of the time so they would be represented by the fashion rather than their looks. Even the monarch would only be known by their coinage.
But sweeping all this aside for a moment, looking at the lack of patina on it I have a gut feeling that it is more likely 20thC.

[nobby]

there was somthing like this on here about a year back.....but now we ve changed servers we ve lost all our pictures  .........if I rember correctly iI think it was a victorian door mounting