Provenance:
The Merrin Gallery, New York.
Private Collection, New York, acquired 9 August 1989 (Inv. no. GR239).

Note: 
From mythological stories such as the twelve labors of Hercules to important monuments such as the Temple of Apollo, lions were prevalent in ancient Greek culture, and often symbolized royalty and strength. Here we face a life-size marble head of a lion with intense deep-set eyes, strong muzzle, and muscular mandible. The overall size and conveyed power firmly secure its status as an apex predator. Yet, its facial features are stylized and has a humanlike expression. It is likely this fragment served as part of a statue that would have guarded over the funerary plot of an aristocratic family or marked the entryway to a mausoleum.