For Zayed National Museum, ACCIONA Cultura commissioned Factum Arte to produce two permanent, life-sized sculptures of Rabdan and Saglawiya, the horses of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Presented in a dynamic galloping pose and equipped with bridles and saddles modelled on the originals, the sculptures combine anatomical precision with detailed historical research.

The sculptures form part of a wider installation commissioned by ACCIONA Cultura, including the Bronze Ghaf Tree and the Stainless Steel Ghaf Tree.

Rabdan, the white stallion, and Saglawiya, the brown mare, hold an important place in the UAE’s cultural memory. Factum Arte’s recreation aims to honour this legacy through the careful study of the Arabian horse breed, ensuring a faithful and dignified representation. Each sculpture is made from scagliola reinforced with fibreglass and resin, supported by an internal steel structure engineered at Factum Arte. The project also posed a significant technical challenge: applying a traditional scagliola (marble-stucco) technique, normally used on walls, architectural surfaces or small decorative elements, to two three-dimensional, life-sized sculptures.

The digital models were created by Irene Gaumé, Factum Arte’s 3D sculptor, following extensive research into the morphology of Arabian horses. Historic photographs were supported by photogrammetry and detailed photographs of animals from the same bloodline as Rabdan and Saglawiya.

The original saddle, bridle and decorative elements were recorded at Factum Arte in high resolution, allowing them to be accurately 3D modelled. The final models were divided into sections for fabrication and used to produce moulds for casting.

To achieve the required materiality and character, we chose to work with scagliola, a mixture of plaster, animal glue and pigment. Plaster was mixed with animal glue and hand-kneaded with cellulose powder (wood pulp). The pigment was then kneaded by hand to produce a very subtle marbled appearance for both the grey and the brown horses. The dough-like mix was applied directly into the moulds in sections. Once the scagliola had set, the forms were reinforced with fibreglass and resin. For Saglawiya, more than eight pigments were blended to achieve the rich, reddish hue; Rabdan’s silver-grey, lightly freckled coat was created with a combination of several pigments mixed in different ways into the scagliola mix.

Once dry, the cast sections were removed from the moulds and assembled around custom steel armatures produced in Factum Arte’s metal workshop. Joints were filled and the surface refined by hand before the application of a protective coating.

Each sculpture was shipped as a single pre-assembled piece with the suspension system already installed, ready to be connected to the ceiling at the museum.