Statuette of a Lion

380–246 BC

Statuette of a Lion, 380–246 BC. Egypt, Late Period, Dynasty 30 or later. 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 In antiquity, lions were often associated with rulers and this miniature sculpture likely depicts the Egyptian lion god Mahes. In ancient Egypt, a special city known as Leontopolis, or "Lion-City," had a temple dedicated to this deity in which live lions were kept. This small limestone sculpture would have been at home in such a location.