Shahrokh Razmjou
Abstract
A small terracotta figurine of a rider is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which was found in Cyprus. The rider has a Persian attire, possibly showing a Persian character with signs and features of the Achaemenid era. Comparing the details of the figurine with similar artifacts can ...
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A small terracotta figurine of a rider is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which was found in Cyprus. The rider has a Persian attire, possibly showing a Persian character with signs and features of the Achaemenid era. Comparing the details of the figurine with similar artifacts can suggest its functions. It was made in the Hellenistic style; therefore, it belongs to the post-Achaemenid period. The Persian and Achaemenid features and elements in the figurine may represent the continuation of Iranian presence in the social structure and cultural affairs of the region after the collapse of the Achaemenid empire; on the other hand, they prove the presence of the Persians in Cyprus throughout the 3rd century BC. Given the insufficient evidence of this period, such pieces can be extremely significant.
