The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: statue
- Gallery: Room 21
- Maker: Attributed to Pytheos
- Culture: Classical Greek
- Date: 350BC (circa)
- Object type: statue
- Materials: marble; bronze
- Museum number: 1857,1220.238
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is "The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus; The Chariot Group," a powerful marble statue from ancient Greece. It depicts the forepart of a grand horse that once stood part of a massive chariot crowning a great tomb. The horse's head is gently bent to the left, yet its muscles are taut and full of life—every detail, from flaring nostrils to the carved teeth in its open mouth, shows strength and vitality. A flowing mane frames its head, with a strand of hair delicately curled near the eye.
Bronze bridle pieces, still attached, add another layer of realism. These components were once brightly painted, traces of which remain. This statue is made from carefully carved marble, now pieced together from ancient fragments. Created around 350 BC in Classical Greece, it reflects the skill of a master sculptor, possibly Pytheos. The piece comes from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, a wonder of the ancient world.
See it in person
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: statue is on display in Room 21 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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