/internal/media/dispatcher/981895/resize%25253Aformat%25253DthumbnailStatue of a seated lion570–550 B.C.Overall: 95.3 x 58 x 38 cm (37 1/2 x 22 13/16 x 14 15/16 in.)
Limestone (originally coated with smooth plaster and painted)Catharine Page Perkins Fund97.2891This lion sits on its back legs and turns its head outwards towards the viewer, opening its mouth in a roar. While the detailed musculature and anatomy of the lion are rendered rather realistically, the hair is stylized, framing the face with flame-like locks. Along the back of the lion’s head and its haunches, the hair is rendered in braided rows. The lion is seated on a plinth that would have once been placed atop a tall support, marking a grave. In its original state, the lion would also have been brightly painted, making it an effective and eye-catching monument. Positioned above ground level, the ferocious animal could both guard the deceased and, if commemorating a fallen soldier, evoke a memory of his strength and power.Sculpture123.507747015595.300000000012.700025400115101701