Ancient Near East, Anatolia, ca. 7th century BCE. A finely cast leaded bronze sculpture of a lion attacking a recumbent stag upon an integral plinth and a custom wooden base. The stag lies upon the ground with its legs folded beneath, its head turned and its large eyes gazing ahead with a resigned expression, while the wild feline approaches to aggressively feast upon its prey. The details are wonderful. Note the spotted coat of the stag as well as its well-modeled snout and horns. Interestingly, the lion appears to be smaller than the stag, but is clearly the dominant victor in this scene. Ancient Anatolia served as a geographical link between Europe and Asia, and Anatolians created some of the finest works from the Bronze Age with expert artistry and craftmanship as we see in this example. Size: 3.125" W x 1.875" H (7.9 cm x 4.8 cm); 2.875" H (7.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Human inhabitance of Anatolia extends back to prehistoric times, and Anatolian excavations have added to the great narrative of global art history. The famous excavations at Catalhuyuk of the Neolithic era dating from the 7th millennium BCE revealed contiguous rectangular rooms that were only accessible via a ladder from a flat roof, leading scholars to understand that these interconnected roofs served as a physical space for communal life. Spiritual shrines were decorated with animal heads and horns; walls were adorned with murals that depicted ritual hunting scenes of aurochs and stags, a theme which is also captured by this piece; and special sculptures, like this example, have been found in Anatolian burials of presumably elite individuals.

Published: J. Eisenberg, Art of the Ancient World, volume VII (1992), no. 417.

On loan to Ball State University Art Museum, George Mason University, Fitchburg Art Museum - 1997 to 2016.

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Dearborn, Michigan, USA, acquired from Royal Athena in July 1993; ex Mythes et Legendes, Paris, France, April 1989

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#160102

Normal surface wear commensurate with age, but details are still vivid. Old loss to tip of stag's horn that has smoothed over time. Bronze has developed a gorgeous green patina.