NO-11 bronze
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| Proper name: | Pferdchen von Dercolo |
| Classification: | appliqué |
| Material: | bronze |
| Size: | length 11.9 cm |
| Condition: | complete |
| Date: | 4th–3rd centuries BC |
| Date derived from: | archaeological context |
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| Site: | Dercolo (fraction of: Campodenno, Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy) |
| Archaeological context: | hoard |
| Coordinates (approx.): | 46° 14' 56.40" N, 11° 2' 49.20" E [from site] |
| Find date: | 1883 |
| Current location: | Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum (on exhibition) |
| Inventory Nr.: | 1.086 |
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| Inscription: | NO-11 (pirikaniśnu) |
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| Sources: | Von Wieser 1883: 220–221 Walde-Psenner 1976: 211 (No. 74), fig. 74 Zemmer-Plank et al. 1985: 165 (cat. No. 35) |
Images
 Object NO-11 bronze with inscription NO-11.
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Commentary
Bronze horse appliqué.
The bronze is halfplastic worked at which the back side is not sculptured, the front side with a D-cross-section. Green smooth patina all-over.
The head is highly stylized, with no indication of an eye. In the head area a harness bridle. Also the mane is stylized, worked as one closed material with some indentations. The leading flank is formed in a smaller dimension and gives the idea of a jumping horse. The only less narrow end, which is considerably thinner as the body, is perforated. On the flat back side, in the area of the forehead, the chest, the back as well as the body a total of five tapered insections.
On the frontside, along the longish body of the horse an inscription.
Discussion about the date ....
Find circumstances: In 1883 a bronze situla filled with different kinds of bronze objects like fibulae and pendants was found on a ridge west of Dercolo. Moreover the situla contained a set of sortes and appliqués in the form of horses. After Mancini the situla was found in march 1882 (see LIR: 164).
Interpretation: The collection of the wealth deposit can be interpreted as a votive hoard.
The Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum also keeps a copy of the object (inv. No. 1.086K) which also could be observed in the permanent exhibition.
Further references: Von Wieser 1883: 220–221, Oberziner 1883: 190 et seq. Pictures in Oberziner 1883: pl. II,9 (drawing) and LIR: 165 (photo and drawing); Oberziner as well as Mancini also mention and give pictures of a similar find from the same hoard.
Bibliography
| LIR | Alberto Mancini, Le Iscrizioni Retiche [= Quaderni del dipartimento di linguistica, Università degli studi di Firenze Studi 8–9], Padova: Unipress 2009–10. (2 volumes) |
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