Bulgarian Metal Box 1 Horseman with a Cup 2 1/4" x 1 3/4" $28.50
Bulgarian Metal Box 2 Griffin Attacking a Doe 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" $28.50
Bulgarian Metal Box 3 Woman Riding a Dragon 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" $28.50
Bulgarian Brass Box 4 Archangel Gabriel 3" in diameter $37.50 Currently Sold Out
Bulgarian Metal Boxes
Our hammered metal boxes were created by a master craftsman from a remote rural village in Bulgaria. Most of the boxes are made from castings created from mid-4th-century-B.C. designs found on a gold horse harness in Thrace. The entire area of Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and Macedonia was known as Thrace during that period, and only in recent history has it been divided up into the countries that we now call the Balkans. Our craftsman also creates the boxes for the Bulgarian National Museum in Sofia. The boxes we carry include:
Box 1 “Horseman with a Cup.” 2 1/4” x 1 3/4”. Metal. Originally a gilded applique from a horse harness from 4th-century B.C. Thrace. The horseman represents a hero from the Roman period, performing a libation, or possibly it is a scene from an episode of the dragon-fighter myth where the cup represents the act of drinking the sacred drink which precedes the combat. The animal behind the hero’s back may be his hunting dog. $28.50.
Box 2 “Griffin Attacking a Doe.” 2 1/4” x 1 3/4”. Metal. Originally a gilded ornament within a bowl from the 4th Century B.C. $28.50.
Box 3 “Woman Riding a Dragon.” 2” x 1 3/4”. Metal. Originally a silver applique from a horse’s harness from 4th-century B.C. Thrace. $28.50.
Box 6 “Horseman with a Cup.” 2 3/4” diameter. Copper. Originally a gilded applique from a horse harness from 4th-century B.C. Thrace. The horseman represents a hero from the Roman period, performing a libation, or possibly it is a scene from an episode of the dragon-fighter myth where the cup represents the act of drinking the sacred drink which precedes the combat. The animal behind the hero’s back may be his hunting dog. $35.00.
Box 7 “Bear Challenging a Warrior.” 3 1/2” diameter. Brass. Detail from a silver-gilt bridal cheekpiece, from 4th-century-B.C. Thrace. The horseman is spearing a bear, who stands on its hind legs, its paws on the foreleg of the horse. A wolf, already killed, lies under the horse. The scene illustrates the hero’s trial: in order to become a man and a warrior, he must perform a number of challenges, including killing wild animals. The bear and the wolf are among the common antagonists. $38.50.
