Carved reddish sandstone lion with incised mane standing on a base against a flat back slab, photographed on a dark background.

Lion Protome, Probably for a Throne

A carved stone lion stands on a rectangular base, head turned slightly to the side, with a mane rendered in incised strands and a stylized open mouth. The figure is set against a back slab, and its pale reddish surface shows weathering and light encrustation. The sculpture is shown against a plain black background.

Artist: Unknown
Date: c. 2nd century
Medium: Spotted red sandstone
Source: Art Institute of Chicago
Size: 1686 × 2193 px

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Public domain · Art Institute of Chicago releases this image under CC0 (latest date 205).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Art Institute of Chicago, is_public_domain=true)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf

2nd century sandstone art institute of chicago south asian art carved stone ancient sculpture throne architectural fragment red sandstone lion sculpture