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Lion Cub

Early Dynastic Period
ca. 3100–2900 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899
This powerful figure of a crouching lion belongs to the beginning of Egypt's historic period, when the process of integrating Upper and Lower Egypt into one centralized state was underway. The simplified sculptural treatment, with the tail curled over the back and the absence of a base, is typical of sculpture from this period, when the Egyptians were learning to master the art of carving in hard stone.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Lion Cub
  • Period: Early Dynastic Period
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 1
  • Date: ca. 3100–2900 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt; Said to be from Southern Upper Egypt, Gebelein
  • Medium: Quartzite
  • Dimensions: L. 23.4 x H. 12 x W. 12.5 cm (9 3/16 x 4 3/4 x 4 15/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Fletcher Fund and The Guide Foundation Inc. Gift, 1966
  • Object Number: 66.99.2
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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Lion Cub - Early Dynastic Period - The Metropolitan Museum of Art