Statuette of Molossian Hound (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Like a Molossian hound or tawny Laconian, the shepherd’s friend, I’ll pursue with ears pricked through deepest snow whatever wild beast runs before me. — Horace (Roman poet, 65–8 BC), Epode 6
The Molossian hound, ancestor of the modern mastiff, was prized as a guard hound and dog of war. This depiction of a Molossian at rest captures the strength of the breed but also evokes literary descriptions of Molossians as obedient and silent hunters. Cast using the lost-wax method, this highly detailed bronze (even the tendons of the paws are depicted) may have adorned—and watched over—a chest or ceremonial chariot.
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