Frieze fragment
Unknown Artist
early 16th century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (wt. confirmed): 13 1/2 × 32 1/4 in., 71 lb. (34.3 × 81.9 cm, 32.2 kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Architectural
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.753
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite marble frieze fragment, by an unknown Italian artist in the early 16th, offers a glimpse into the grandeur of Renaissance architectural decoration. Measuring 13½ × 32¼ inches and weighing 71 pounds, it formed part of a larger horizontal band—typical of friezes adorning palaces, churches, or public buildings. The tag "Horses" hints at dynamic relief carvings likely depicting equine figures, a motif symbolizing power, nobility, classical antiquity, which Renaissance sculptors revived with masterful precision. Crafted from durable white marble, the fragment showcases the era's tec...