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Nenfro statue of a winged lion

ca. 550 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 170
Several statues of this type, made from nenfro, a kind of volcanic stone used extensively at Vulci, depict winged lions and sphinxes. These were set up to protect the entrances to subterranean chamber tombs covered by a tumulus (earthen mound). They often appear in pairs and represent the Etruscan response to a long tradition of guardian figures stretching back to ancient Egypt and the Near East.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Nenfro statue of a winged lion
  • Period: Archaic
  • Date: ca. 550 BCE
  • Culture: Etruscan
  • Medium: Nenfro
  • Dimensions: H. 37 1/2 in. (95.3 cm); length 28 3/4 in. (73 cm); width at haunches 13 3/4 in. (35 cm)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1960
  • Object Number: 60.11.1
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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