The production of cast bronze figurines of votive character began in the first half of the 9th c. BC in major workshops at Argos, Corinth and in Laconia, and in minor ones in other regions of the Peloponnese, Central Greece and the islands (especially Crete). They were intended as dedications in sanctuaries and represent male figures (deities, warriors, horsemen, charioteers) and animals (mainly horses and bovines). They are also encountered as decorative devices on handles of bronze votive cauldrons. The large quantities of horse figurines seem to reflect the significance of the horse during the Geometric period, not only as a means of military superiority but also as a symbol of prestige and social status, as attested by the Homeric references and the scenes of battle, and of ceremonial processions on Geometric vases.