Riding That Rabbit

All right, I'm not going to pretend I've seen anything like this before. From the antiquities sale at Christie's comes this terracotta figure of a youth riding--a rabbit. How's that again? Does this make sense to anyone? Why does this antiquity show a young man riding a rabbit?

A CANOSAN TERRACOTTA GROUP 

APULIA, CIRCA EARLY 3RD CENTURY B.C.

Depicting a youth riding a rabbit, decorated in bright polychromy over white slip, the youth astride the oversized animal, his arms raised, nude but for a pink sash, a blue Phrygian cap with a pink border, and pink boots, the rabbit crouching, its elongated ears held back, bordered in pink, the bulging pellet eyes, the tail, and the detailing of the nose and forepaws all pink

5¼ in. (13.3 cm.) high 

Estimate

$5,000 - $8,000 

June 8, 2012:  Price Realized: $16,250
Information

Sale 2565 Lot 101

Antiquities 
8 June 2012
New York, Rockefeller Plaza 

A CANOSAN TERRACOTTA GROUP 

APULIA, CIRCA EARLY 3RD CENTURY B.C. 

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/a-canosan-terracotta-group-apulia-circa-early-5567241-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5567241&sid=d6809aa9-5920-4829-b210-f5d80ec46161

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