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Greek

Furniture attachment in the form of a lion, ca. 500 BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Greek

Title

Furniture attachment in the form of a lion

Year

ca. 500 BCE

Medium

Bronze

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • bronze

Dimensions

Height: 8.6 cm (3 3/8 inches)

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

1994.067

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

Although the ancient Greeks began producing small-scale bronzes using the lost-wax process as early as the
10th century BCE, decorative bronzes were not used extensively within the domestic context until the 4th century BCE, during the Hellenistic period. This solid-cast lion most likely adorned the top of a large tripod, or perhaps the edge of some item of furniture. Although the flat, rectangular projection at its base (tenon) is visible today, it would have been hidden in its original context, where it was inserted into a slot to allow the lion to rest securely on a flat surface. Centuries of exposure to the elements, specifically oxygen, mineral and water-rich environments, has weathered the lion’s once warm-brown surface. The patches of greenish-blue patina are probably copper oxide, a type of superficial oxidation that can act as a protective layer and prevent the underlying metal from further corrosion.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Furniture attachment in the form of a lion with the accession number of 1994.067. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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