GREEK WINGED LION APPLIQUé GROUP 5th-3rd century BC A set of gold foil appliqués each a rectangle with gilded sides, pierced for attachment, balustered border above and scalloped below; central repoussé figure of a winged lion advancing, seven facing right and four facing left. 25 grams total, 33-34mm (1 1/4"). [11] Condition Fine condition. Provenance Property of a private collector; acquired before 1975. Footnotes Such appliques were sown onto the robes of wealthy men and women and are mostly associated with the Thracian and Scythian nomadic people who lived in the regions to the north of Greece that were settled by Greek colonists. This colonization of these regions resulted in a fusion of art styles and a preponderance of gold ornament that was loved by the nomadic Thracians and Scythians. The winged lion is a rare subject in Greek art and may possibly be related to the Chimera of Greek myth, though this was usually depicted with a goat's head along the back and a snake for a tail. It is most likely derived from Persian examples which are associated with the Achaemenid royal family. The winged lion appears on the Graeco-Persian coinage of the city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos and dating to 521 BC. The winged lion also appears in stone sculpture, most notably from the Greek colonies of South Italy, where they acted as funerary monuments.
GREEK WINGED LION APPLIQUé GROUP 5th-3rd century BC A set of gold foil appliqués each a rectangle with gilded sides, pierced for attachment, balustered border above and scalloped below; central repoussé figure of a winged lion advancing, seven facing right and four facing left. 25 grams total, 33-34mm (1 1/4"). [11] Condition Fine condition. Provenance Property of a private collector; acquired before 1975. Footnotes Such appliques were sown onto the robes of wealthy men and women and are mostly associated with the Thracian and Scythian nomadic people who lived in the regions to the north of Greece that were settled by Greek colonists. This colonization of these regions resulted in a fusion of art styles and a preponderance of gold ornament that was loved by the nomadic Thracians and Scythians. The winged lion is a rare subject in Greek art and may possibly be related to the Chimera of Greek myth, though this was usually depicted with a goat's head along the back and a snake for a tail. It is most likely derived from Persian examples which are associated with the Achaemenid royal family. The winged lion appears on the Graeco-Persian coinage of the city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos and dating to 521 BC. The winged lion also appears in stone sculpture, most notably from the Greek colonies of South Italy, where they acted as funerary monuments.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
