Torfavan 18

Front side. The tombstone is overturned and partly broken. Its carved front presents a remarkable scene. One rider is armed with a quiver of arrows and a rifle. A figure in a pointed hat holds the horse’s bridle in one hand and a bowl in the other. The scene continues with depictions of a wine jar and loaves of bread, above which a deer is shown. Another rider holds a dagger in one hand and a spear in the other, with which he strikes a dragon with an open mouth. This is a notable example of the dragon-slaying horseman motif. The sculptor demonstrated great mastery, vividly conveying the dragon’s power by emphasizing its fangs and the sacrificial wild goat inside its mouth, which responds to the drama of the struggle as it attempts to escape. The entire composition is framed by a plaited-rope border.

Back side. Not visible due to the stone lying face down.

Lateral sides. One lateral plane depicts a clutching eagle, while the other is broken.

Upper side. Concave in form, outlined at the center.