Lion of Mari
The lion of Mari is a bronze figure that was probably made as a protome . It is 70 cm high and was found during archaeological excavations in the Dagan Temple of Tell Hariri in Syria . It comes from the old Babylonian period , probably from the reign of Zimrī-Lim . Today it is in the Louvre in Paris (inventory no .: AO 19520, AO 19824 ). A counterpart of this figure is in the National Museum in Aleppo . Both originally formed a couple.
The head, shoulder and front paws of the figure depicted in a lying position are still preserved. The mouth is opened and the teeth are bared. Originally, pieces of bone were placed in the mouth as teeth. The limestone and slate eyes are still preserved on the inlays . The figure was made from individual bronze sheets that were riveted onto a wooden core.
literature
- André Parrot : Les Fouilles de Mari. Quatrième campagne (hiver 1936-37). In: Syria. Vol. 19, No. 1, 1938, pp. 1-29, here pp. 25 f., JSTOR 4196112 .
- Georges Dossin: Inscriptions de fondation provenant de Mari. In: Syria. Vol. 21, No. 2, 1940, pp. 152-169, here p. 167, JSTOR 4390014 .
- Winfried Orthmann : Babylonian-Assyrian round sculpture. In Winfried Orthmann: The Old Orient (= Propylaea Art History . Vol. 18). Propylaen Verlag, Berlin 1975, pp. 288–298, here p. 294, plate 168.
