Polychrome Painted Wood Head of a Lion – “The Moustache Lion”

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Ptolemaic period, 2nd-1st century B.C.

Material: Wood

Dimensions: 8.5 cm x 17.5 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 1452

Provenance: Swiss collection Jürg Marquard, Herrliberg. Thence Galerie Cahn, Basel from 2007. Last in a US private collection.

Condition: Except for some minor chipping and a stable crack on the surface on the left side intact, and of charming quality.

Description: Very charmingly painted wood head of a lion, which possibly served as an armrest on a chair. The lion with white primed face, black painted eyes with long eyeliner, curved brows and round pupils. Very striking is the slightly open mouth with a red tongue and a tightly set row of teeth, which create a smiling expression of the animal. The friendly expression is underlined by a moustache which is rolled in at the ends. The bottom of this wood attachment has a rectangular indentation with a central perforation, where the finale was mounted on the armrest. Published in: “Tiere und Mischwesen VIII”, catalogue 20, Basel 2008, number 5.