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An ancient Greek sculpture of a horseman has returned to display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens after conservation work reunited it with its original inscribed stone base, bringing together two elements that had been kept apart for decades.

The statue, catalogued as Acropolis 700 and dating to 510-500 BC, has been reinstalled in the museum’s Archaic Acropolis Gallery in its restored configuration. The reinstallation coincides with European Conservation Day 2026, highlighting the work of specialists responsible for preserving cultural heritage.

Reinstallation of the statue of a horseman, dated to roughly 700 BC, in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery of the Acropolis Museum. Photo: Press Office, Greek Ministry of Culture

The original base had remained in storage on the Acropolis rock, while the sculpture was displayed separately on a modern support.

For years, the statue stood on a base constructed between 1956 and 1964 during the reorganization of the former Acropolis Museum. The work was undertaken under Giannis Miliadis, then curator of antiquities at the Acropolis.

Archaic Horseman

Reinstallation of the statue of a horseman, dated to roughly 700 BC, in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery of the Acropolis Museum. Photo: Press Office, Greek Ministry of Culture

During the latest conservation intervention, specialists removed the horseman’s old Plexiglas supports, treated the sculpture and reattached it to its original ancient base.

The restoration has reestablished the relationship between the sculpture and its inscribed pedestal, allowing visitors to see the work in a configuration closer to its original presentation.

The statue belongs to the Archaic period, when the Acropolis was adorned with temples and numerous votive offerings dedicated to the gods.

Discovered in 1887 east of the Erechtheion, the sculpture is made of Parian marble and stands 1.12 meters tall. It depicts a rider seated close to the horse’s neck.

The horse raises its left foreleg and turns its head in the same direction. Its mane retains traces of vivid blue pigment, while engraved details on the rider’s sandals and other surviving features offer evidence of the sculpture’s original appearance.

Costly equestrian statues were associated with wealthy social groups in ancient Athens, whose members could afford the considerable expense of maintaining horses.