Seated Lion - Reproduction

Seated Lion Statue: A Gentle Beast from Ancient Lakonia

This seated lion statue is a resin reproduction of a small Greek bronze. The lion sits calmly with his head turned to the side and his mouth closed. A round, full face and a ruff of mane around it give him a gentle look.

The Getty Villa holds the original, a bronze statuette made about 550 BCE. This Greek lion statue was cast from a mold of that object. The Getty lists it as object number 96.AB.76. The piece makes a quiet Getty Villa replica for a shelf.

Product Details

• Material: Resin
• Size: H 3 1/2 in x W 4 5/8 in x D 1 1/4 in
• Gift box included
• Item number: MRLION

Why Lakonia?

Stylistic clues place the original in Lakonia, the area controlled by Sparta. Look for the S-shaped curve of the tail. Look for the fat, round head. The mane is an upright ruff that stands out in a circle around the face. Flame-like locks are incised on the neck and the back of the head.

Lakonian workshops were famous for bronze. The Metropolitan Museum notes that they cast small solid figures to decorate vessels, tripods and mirrors. Isolated figures found in sanctuaries may also have been votive offerings. This Spartan bronze lion fits that tradition.

Every seated lion statue deserves a good look under bright, even light. Guests tend to ask about the seated lion statue first. Handle the seated lion statue gently and it will last for years. Take time to study the seated lion statue from every angle.

Source Object

Title: Statuette of a Seated Lion. Culture: Greek. Place: Greece. Date: about 550 BCE. Medium: Bronze. Object number: 96.AB.76. Dimensions: 9.3 x 5 x 13.3 cm (3 11/16 x 1 15/16 x 5 1/4 in).

Displaying the Lion

Place the Greek lion statue on a desk or bookshelf beside other antiquities. Its 4 5/8 in width looks right next to small busts and vases. Dust it with a soft, dry cloth. A Spartan bronze lion like this one rewards a closer look at the tail and mane.

For anyone drawn to Greek lion statue, this piece offers a closer look. This piece belongs with Greek lion statue that you may already own or admire. This piece belongs with Getty Villa replica that you may already own or admire. Curators often say that Getty Villa replica rewards slow looking.

Curators often say that Spartan bronze lion rewards slow looking. Here, Spartan bronze lion becomes something you can hold or display.

More classical pieces are in our Greek and Roman collection. This Getty Villa replica pairs well with a Roman or Greek figure from the same shelf.

Lakonian Bronzework

Archaic Sparta is famous for its soldiers, yet its craftsmen also made fine bronzes. Lakonian pieces were prized in the western Greek world. The style faded in the late sixth century BCE, when artists adopted common Late Archaic habits.

For More Reading from the Web

• Meet the Spartan craftsmen who cast small bronzes like this lion. Art and Craft in Archaic Sparta - Heilbrunn Timeline, Metropolitan Museum of Art