Seated Lion

This ceramic lion was produced in Iran around 1200, when the region was controlled by the Seljuks, a Turkic nomadic people from central Asia who had adopted Islam and its material heritage. Under the Seljuks, the decorative arts flourished in Iran. In ceramics, an unprecedented variety of shapes and techniques were introduced.

The Cincinnati lion is one of the largest known examples of a class of ceramic animal figures that were a specialty of the city of Rayy in north central Iran. Although its original context is unknown, the figure probably served a courtly, ceremonial function; since ancient times, the lion itself had been a potent symbol of royalty in the Near East. The playful characterization of the subject—the arched back and the drooping head with forlorn expression—typifies the modeling style applied to felines of this period. In addition to its anklets, the figure originally bore earrings that were suspended from perforations in the ears. In characteristic fashion, the Cincinnati sculpture has a simple monochrome glaze in turquoise, a color especially favored in Islamic art of the Near East.