Animal sculptures at the Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy

The Archaeological Museum of Naples also features horses, wild and domestic animals, as well as mythological creatures.

The horse sculptures are particularly finely crafted and remarkably elegant, demonstrating the importance and affection accorded to these animals, which still seem to be alive!

Magnificent bronze sculptures depicting fawns, or a small piglet, come from the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum.

The statues of these familiar animals are touchingly lifelike; the realism of their poses is proof of the sculptor’s keen sense of observation combined with his artistic talent.

One cannot help but be impressed by the aesthetic quality of these sculptures created two thousand years ago by artists working with simple tools.

Horse's head

Piglet, Villa of the Papyri

Fawn, Villa dei Papiri, Herculaneum, Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

Fawn, Villa of the Papyri

Sphynx, House of the Faun, Pompeii, Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

Sphynx, Pompeii