The horse - Greek 'hippos' - was a symbol of wealth, status, military power, and divine majesty. Horses were integral to a thriving economy, and an essential part of victorious warfare. These high value and high maintenance luxury items, were pretty much restricted to ownership by the aristocracy and/or the wealthy.

Owning and entering chariot teams in the Panhellenic Games (such as the Olympic in Olympia, the Pythian in Delphi) and in the Panathenaic Games in Athens, brought great prestige to the owner. Achilles in the Iliad rode into battle with immortal horses (who could also speak) Xanthos and Balios.

Poseidon, god of the sea, oceans, and earthquakes, created the horse from the crashing waves, connecting the animal's untamed, powerful spirit to elemental fury. The sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene drove their horse-drawn chariots across the sky, anchoring the horse in the daily rhythm of the universe. Pegasus the winged horse, and son of Poseidon and Medusa, represents the ultimate bridge between the earthly realm and divine inspiration.

Figurines in bronze and terracotta have been found in abundance in ancient Greek religious sanctuaries, where they would have been sold to visitors to leave as offerings to the gods.

The marble original, from the Parthenon, is currently in the British Museum and is one of the best-loved pieces of classical Greek sculpture.

The horse's head dominates the northern apex of the Parthenon's east pediment, which depicts at its centre the birth of the goddess Athena. Many gods and goddesses witnessed this momentous event, including the goddess of the moon, Selene. The figures in these pediments were sculpted fully in the round, although the backs of them would never be seen once in situ, and hoisted into position between 447-432 BCE.

This superb copy in cast Carrara marble was commissioned by and is exclusive to It's All Greek. She is a perfect, scaled-down version of a cast taken from the full size original.

This collection is made in the UK in cast Carrara marble. The beautiful white marble of Carrara in Tuscany was used for the Pantheon in ancient Rome and was a favourite of Michelangelo.

The sculptures are created using a process of dry casting, so that each sculpture contains over 90% marble. They glisten!

The high quality is such that there will be no discoloration - other than natural patination and ageing - especially if the pieces are placed outdoors.