Figure of a Lion | Harvard Art Museums

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 2022.244
Title: Figure of a Lion
Classification: Sculpture
Work Type: statuette, sculpture
Date: 850-650 BCE
Period: Iron Age
Culture: Neo-Hittite ?
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/369982

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Basalt
Dimensions: 2.8 × 2.2 × 5 cm (1 1/8 × 7/8 × 1 15/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: [Oscar Meyer Antiquities, Los Angeles (by 1970)], purchase; by Nanette B. Kelekian, New York (1970-2021), bequest; to the Harvard Art Museums.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian
Accession Year: 2022
Object Number: 2022.244
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description: This small lion carved of black basalt is missing the lower parts of its legs and its lower jaw. It is roughly worked underneath, where it was drilled lengthwise to separate its legs; the drill hole (diameter 0.6 cm) continues into the snout. A drill was also used to create an opening between front paws and snout. The loss of the tips of all four legs, the shape of the remaining front legs, the use of a drill to create the legs, and the somewhat underdeveloped hindquarters of the lion all suggest that the animal was an attachment to a larger object. Most likely, it sat on the exterior of a bowl or other vessel and peeked over its rim.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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