Limestone figure holding a mask
This remarkable work shows a male figure holding the mask of a lion against his head with his left hand. Unlike the three-dimensional masks in 74.51.2538 and 74.51.2515, this one is quite flat. Votive clay masks of lions are known from Cyprus and the Levant beginning in the eleventh century B.C. They may have some relation to the Egyptian goddess Sehkmet or may represent the most ferocious of beasts.
Artwork Details
- Title: Limestone figure holding a mask
- Period: Archaic
- Date: probably late 6th century BCE
- Culture: Cypriot
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 9 3/8 in., 2 lb. (23.8 cm)
- Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
- Object Number: 74.51.2505
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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Cypriot
ca.525–500 BCE
Cypriot
late 4th century BCE
Cypriot
early 5th century BCE
Cypriot
ca. 530–520 BCE
Cypriot
mid–1st century BCE
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