Group of Armor for Horses: Prometodpidia (2) and Breastplates (2)

Unknown

about 480 B.C.

Bronze, amber, ivory, Bronze, Amber, Ivory

J. Paul Getty Museum

Three ancient bronze artifacts, likely armor pieces, are displayed against a plain background. Two pieces are shaped like stylized human faces with green eyes, and the third is a curved breastplate with embossed figures. Each pair of these two matched sets of bronze horse armor consists of a prosternidion, or breastplate, and a prometopidion, armor that protected a horse's forehead. Horse armor was widely used in the ancient Mediterranean world. Its use is well documented in the Near East and Cyprus, but less well understood in ancient Greece. The Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily produced all the examples of Greek horse armor still known today. Although no horse armor from mainland Greece has survived, writings by the Greek historian Xenophon verify its existence. These two prometopidia are inlaid with ivory and amber. Such elaborate armo