Lower part of furniture leg with lion feet and frustrum

Late Period–Ptolemaic Period

664–30 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 134

This is the lower part of a lion furniture leg like 1977.170, made to slot onto another piece of furniture probably of wood. The fine modeling of the lion's foot and the contrast of the turquoise and dark blue colors convey the fine quality of the original piece.

Furniture legs formed from the body and head of a lion conveyed an exalted status in Egyptian tradition. Here the fragile material and form indicate the piece may have adorned a low funerary bed on which the coffin or mummy of a deceased rested, or perhaps a stool intended to hold funerary items in the tomb.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Lower part of furniture leg with lion feet and frustrum
Period: Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Date: 664–30 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt; Probably from Memphite Region, Memphis (Mit Rahina)
Medium: Faience
Dimensions: H. 10.7 cm (4 3/16 in.); W. 8.4 cm (3 5/16 in.); D. 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line: Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926
Object Number: 26.7.1012
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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