Lion Subduing a Prince of Kush
Unknown Artist
ca. 1279–1213 B.C.
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
H. 70 × W. 28 × D. 22 cm, 31.7 kg (27 9/16 × 11 × 8 11/16 in., 69.8 lb.)
Classification
Statue, lion, captive
Period
New Kingdom, Ramesside
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers Fund, Edward S. Harkness Gift and by exchange, 1922, 1929, 1935
Accession Number
35.1.23
Art Historical Context
Step into the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian galleries and encounter the formidable *Lion Subduing a Prince of*, a masterful faience sculpture from Egypt's New Kingdom, Ramesside period (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.). Dating to Dynasty 19—the era of mighty pharaohs like Ram II—this nearly life-sized figure (H. 70 cm) depicts a roaring lion pinning down a Nubian prince from, ancient Egypt's southern rival. The dynamic pose captures raw power and conquest, a common motif in royal propaganda celebrating Egypt's imperial dominance. Crafted from faience—a brilliant blue-green glazed ceramic made from...