The Rampin Rider

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This head originates from a magnificent full-figure sculpture called the Ramin Rider, or Rampin Horseman, dating back to around 550 BC. The overall work is an equestrian statue from the Archaic Period of Ancient Greece, masterfully crafted from marble with remnants of red and black paint on its original surface. The head of the rider featured here was discovered on the Acropolis of Athens in 1877 and generously donated to the Louvre Museum. Initially, it was not associated with the rest of the statue found ten years later until 1936. The head was meticulously copied so that a plaster cast could be placed on the original body, while the original head is displayed alongside a cast of the body at the Paris museum. The rider boasts many distinctive features characteristic of an Archaic kouros, yet possesses several symmetrical features that defy the conventions of its period. The overall statue was originally believed to be part of a set of statues, possibly paired with another as a mounted representation of Castor and Pollux common on vases from this era. Alternatively, the statue may represent the champion of a race. This theory is supported by the crown of lovage, awarded to winners of the Nemean Games and the Isthmian Games, worn by the statue. [Text of original, Louvre]