Olympia - Bronze Lion’s Head - II
Bronze head hammered from a think bronze sheet. At back of the head are two holes for attaching it to a votive shield of much larger size than normal. According to another view, it belonged to the architectural adornment of a building. On the eyes there was an inlay of another material.
This head is one of the largest, well-preserve “hammer-elongated” – “sphyrelaton” - plastic work. This technique seems to be of oriental origin. According to some scholars this lion’s protome is of Greek workmanship produced under North-Syrian stylistic influence. According to others, the head exhibits certain Assyrian features and the influence of the late Hittite traditions. The latter suppose the protome was made and imported directly from the Near-Eastern area.
Hammered bronze protome
Archaic Period
VIIII century BC
Olympia, Archaeological Museum
Olympia - Bronze Lion’s Head - II
Bronze head hammered from a think bronze sheet. At back of the head are two holes for attaching it to a votive shield of much larger size than normal. According to another view, it belonged to the architectural adornment of a building. On the eyes there was an inlay of another material.
This head is one of the largest, well-preserve “hammer-elongated” – “sphyrelaton” - plastic work. This technique seems to be of oriental origin. According to some scholars this lion’s protome is of Greek workmanship produced under North-Syrian stylistic influence. According to others, the head exhibits certain Assyrian features and the influence of the late Hittite traditions. The latter suppose the protome was made and imported directly from the Near-Eastern area.
Hammered bronze protome
Archaic Period
VIIII century BC
Olympia, Archaeological Museum