Greek Lion

This lion was meant to guard a cemetery. Ready to pounce, he turns his head, roaring at impure intruders. The artist who sculpted it never saw a real lion, and so he combined the features of more familiar animals: the hips of a cow, the vertebrae of a goat, and the ribs of a horse. The eyes are strangely human and the pose recalls that of a dog. The result, however, is a fearsome, powerful image.

The lion was discovered with some pieces missing, but through careful art-historical research it was possible to restore them in plaster.