Horse 16, Celer

A tiny, delicate hand-blown glass horse figurine that was once entirely covered in a silver-white matte finish. The figure appears to be striding into the wind. The hooves are represented by tiny balls of glass; the legs are long and thin. The tail has marks to indicate strands of horsehair; the mane is created with five bits of glass that have been pulled into spikes. The finish has been damaged, revealing the clear glass figure underneath.16. Celer. The horse of the Roman emperor Lucius Verus (co-ruler with Marcus Aurelius Aontonius, 161-171.) It was fed on almonds and raisins, and adorned with royal purple, and it occupied a personal suite of apartments in the imperial palace.Exhibit label:CELER, THE HORSE OF THE EMPEROR LUCIUS VERUS.A gift from Sir Richard Cabell of Buckfastleigh in Devon, Lord of the Manor of Brooke.—The Fifteenth Letter, in Ladies and Gentlemen.