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Statuette of a Lion
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Lions in Egyptian art are usually shown prone and relaxed, and usually represent the king. But this statuette probably represents the lion god Mahes who had a great temple at Leontopolis ("Lion-City") in the Delta where lions were kept. We know from classical authors that the temple maintained musicians to play to the lions to calm their nerves.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineStatuette of a Lion, 380–246 BCE. Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 30. Limestone; overall: 13.8 x 12 cm (5 7/16 x 4 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1920.2001
