<em>Lion and Ointment Jar</em>, 525–404 B.C.E. Serpentine, 6 x 1 7/8 x 4 3/16 in. (15.3 x 4.8 x 10.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Henry Hottinger, 53.221.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.53.221.2_wwg8.jpg)

Lion and Ointment Jar, 525–404 B.C.E. Serpentine, 6 x 1 7/8 x 4 3/16 in. (15.3 x 4.8 x 10.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Henry Hottinger, 53.221.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.53.221.2_wwg8.jpg)

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Was most of Egypt not a desert in the ancient times? Don’t lions live in grasslands?

The climate of Egypt in pharonic times (beginning around 3000 to 2500 BCE) was relatively similar to the climate of Egypt today. At that time, there actually weren't that many lions in Egypt.

But about 10,000 years ago, the Sahara was not a desert, but a lush grassland full of hunter-gatherer groups. As the region dried out people settled into the Nile Valley and became more organized out of necessity.

During this organizational period, there were still lions in Egypt. They were revered and there is some evidence that some were even tamed. It was during this period that beliefs around lions and their association with the king was formed. The belief endured even after the lion territory shrank deeper into Africa.

Lion and Ointment Jar

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

MEDIUM Serpentine

Place Found: Leontopolis (Tell el Muqdam), Egypt

DATES 525–404 B.C.E.

DYNASTY Dynasty 27

PERIOD First Persian Period

DIMENSIONS 6 x 1 7/8 x 4 3/16 in. (15.3 x 4.8 x 10.7 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 53.221.2

CREDIT LINE Gift of Henry Hottinger

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Serpentine statuette of seated lion, in the round, supporting in his front paws an alabastron, carved in one piece with oblong base. Both sides of lion’s body inlaid with Achaemenid designs, originally set with opaque glass. Lower part of mane inlaid in glass. Head of lion turned to face spectator. Probably a temple vessel. Condition: Intact. Object has been assembled from several pieces. No restorations. Many inlays missing.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view on the 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

CAPTION Lion and Ointment Jar, 525–404 B.C.E. Serpentine, 6 x 1 7/8 x 4 3/16 in. (15.3 x 4.8 x 10.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Henry Hottinger, 53.221.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.53.221.2_wwg8.jpg)

IMAGE installation, West Wing gallery 8 installation, CUR.53.221.2_wwg8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Was most of Egypt not a desert in the ancient times? Don’t lions live in grasslands?

The climate of Egypt in pharonic times (beginning around 3000 to 2500 BCE) was relatively similar to the climate of Egypt today. At that time, there actually weren't that many lions in Egypt.