Funerary Lion

This marble lion originally stood over a grave. Although it snarls fiercely, the face and mane are stylized and the body is rather doglike. The fur is indicated by small incisions all over the body. This unrealistic rendering of lions is typical of Greek artists, who would never have seen a real lion but modeled their depiction on a combination of artistic tradition, large dogs, and house cats. Most Athenian funerary lions are crouching, ready to spring; this lion's less aggressive seated pose is typical of funerary lions in the region of Boiotia to the north of Athens.

Sculpted lions such as this one, placed at the corners of walled family burial plots, were especially popular in the 300s B.C. Funerary sculptures had a dual purpose: They protected the tombs and served to display the wealth and prestige of the family. The ostentation of these displays led to an Athenian law of 317 B.C. that banned all but the simplest of grave markers.