Amulet in the form of a lion with legs extended

ca. 3300–2900 BCE

Not on view

This small object carved from a piece of shell depicts a lion in the act of leaping, with hind legs fully extended and front legs flexed and drawn up toward the head. All features, including the head, are only rudimentarily modeled and almost entirely without detail. The carver instead emphasized the three-dimensional form of the animal: two swellings indicate the haunch and shoulder, connected by a body whose curve underscores the animal’s dynamic motion. The forms of the legs are blocky and the features of the head difficult to make out. Lions were one of the most frequently represented animals in the art of Mesopotamia from a very early period on, and were often shown in combat with an adversary, either human or supernatural. This object may have been used as an amulet, harnessing the enormous power of this fearsome animal.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Amulet in the form of a lion with legs extended
Period: Late Uruk–Jemdet Nasr
Date: ca. 3300–2900 BCE
Geography: Southern Mesopotamia
Medium: Shell
Dimensions: 5/8 x 3 1/4 in. (1.6 x 8.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Joseph M. Upton, 1954
Object Number: 54.20.1
Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

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