Sima Block with Lionhead Spout

A lion head waterspout decorates the right side of this sima block, a roof element that functioned as a gutter, protecting a building from rainwater. The channel for the water issues out of the lion's open mouth. The teeth are arranged on all sides, molar-like in rectangular blocks. The nose is wide and flattened, sloping down the face to meet the whiskered muzzle. A groove runs vertically from the mane down the nose. The mane surrounds the head and is separated into sickle-shaped locks. The ears are upright and set behind the mane, which encircles the head. The top of the lion’s head above the eyes, including the top of the mane and ears, has been broken and reattached.

Greek artists skillfully adapted architectural elements as decorative devices. Waterspouts in the form of lion's heads lined the eaves of many Classical Greek buildings, especially those in public areas.