Archaeology | Sacre and funerary Elements | Funerary Elements | Lion's head protome | Artwork profile

White marble

H. 48; w. 46 cm; d. 23 cm

250-280 AD


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Lion's head protome

Lion head protome with slightly chipped surface, missing the upper part of the mane and the lower section of the ring placed in the mouth. It was originally part of the front of an oval sarcophagus and it was later reused, probably between the XVI and XVIII century, as a fountain mask, since it shows a hole pierced through the jaws. In Rome there are still several examples of this kind of reuse, as one can see in the Catacombs of St. Callixtus or near Porta Cavalleggeri.

According to the traditional iconography, the lion head fiercely protruded from the surface of the sarcophagus with his thick mane, holding in his mouth the end of a ring. The mane is treated with well-outlined plastic locks that, being neatly arranged, frame the face of the animal without smothering it: the locks falling from the temples decoratively recall the curvilinear motif of the cheeks. The very large snout is carved in a expressionistic manner, with bulky protruding masses not yet geometric: the nose is widened, the eyes are rounded, with the circular iris indented and with the lachrymal caruncle; the corrugating muscles of the forehead are highly contracted, like the thick eyebrows that are enriched by small locks of hair, partially eroded.

Our example seems thus to be in keeping with the aesthetic canons of Roman III century statuary: the organic structure tends to dissolve into a vision of dismembered volumes, where the various parts live of their decorative and expressionistic value, mainly achieved through the use of the drill, with which it is in fact possible to enrich the surface with luministic plays.

Moreover, early Christian sarcophagi with protomes or figures of hunting lions stand as a landmark of Roman III century sculpture. The common feature is the place of production that has been identified with Rome, where this kind of sarcophagi are generally to be found, with the exception of very few examples discovered at Tipasa and Tarraco where they had been imported and not locally manufactured.

Another common characteristic is the casket that is shaped like a basin, a lenòs, with rounded sides. This represents a particular choice, a wish to refer to Greek

Bibliographic references: Angiolini Martinelli P., I sarcofagi paleocristiani con figure o protomi leonine, in “Corsi di cultura sull’arte ravennate e bizantina”, 19, 1972, pp. 7-21; Brizzi B., Le fontane di Roma, Roma 1998: examples of lion head protomes reused as fountain spouts: p. 179, fig. 79; p. 184, fig. 90; p. 191, fig. 103; p. 204, fig. 133; p. 234, fig. 200; Chiarlo C. R., Sul significato dei sarcofagi a lenòs decorati con leone, in “Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa”, 4, 4, 1974, pp. 1307-1345; Goodenough E. R., Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Period, New York 1958-1964, vol. 7, pp. 60-66; Rodenwaldt G., Römische Löwen, in “La Critica d’Arte”, 1936, p. 225 ff.; Scerrato U., Su alcuni sarcofagi con leoni, in “Archeologia Classica”, 4, 1952, pp. 259-273; Stroszeck J., Löwen-Sarkophage, Berlin 1998: wide repertory, with comparisons and rich bibliography.