Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Lion
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
Not on view
Lions were introduced to China from ancient Persia and India, thereafter capturing the Chinese imagination. Large stone sculptures of lions soon lined the “spirit paths” leading to the tombs of royals and aristocrats, and they became standard elements flanking entrances to government offices and private residences alike. The present example is largely missing its legs, but remnants of its limbs, together with its burly chest and taut haunches, suggest that it originally assumed a striding posture. An inscription on the back of its head indicates that it once formed part of a pair placed at the gate of Luoyang, the Eastern Han capital.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
