Greek

This crouching lion once functioned as the symbolic guardian of a grave in Athens or in the surrounding countryside. With its head turned and mouth open, it was poised to pounce on any intruder. Guarding family burial plots situated along the roads leading out of Athens, lions such as this fulfilled a two-fold purpose: to protect the tomb and to highlight the wealth and prestige of the family. The unrealistic rendering of the lion’s face, mane, and body reflects the fact that Greek artists at this time, having never seen lions, based their depictions of them on large dogs and domestic cats.