Reclining Lion

This small sculpture depicts a reclining male lion lying on his side and with his front paws crossed over each other. The artist who carved the lion clearly understood and probably observed the physiognomy of lions and marvelously transferred their relaxed position into stone while treating the body very naturalistically and with great sensitivity. Many details are shown, however the depiction of the lion's mane was only partially executed. The size of this art work together with this feature allows to determine that the art work belongs to an intriguing group of small sculptures and relief works that are often called sculptor’s models but that may have served as donations.