Sphinx - II
Sphinx crowing a grave stele. In the hollow moulding traces of red and blue from painted floral decoration.
The sphinx was found in Athens Kerameikon area by German archaeologists, near two other sculptures representing a kouros, known as the “Sacred Gate Kouros”, and a lion. These archaic marble sculptures which originally had stood on grave precincts of the Athenian aristocracy, had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C. and buried under the walls when the Sacred Gate was erected in the Themistoclean age.
Archaic Greek sculpture
560 - 550 BC
Athens, Keramikos, Museum
Sphinx - II
Sphinx crowing a grave stele. In the hollow moulding traces of red and blue from painted floral decoration.
The sphinx was found in Athens Kerameikon area by German archaeologists, near two other sculptures representing a kouros, known as the “Sacred Gate Kouros”, and a lion. These archaic marble sculptures which originally had stood on grave precincts of the Athenian aristocracy, had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C. and buried under the walls when the Sacred Gate was erected in the Themistoclean age.
Archaic Greek sculpture
560 - 550 BC
Athens, Keramikos, Museum