lion

Lion

Ancient Egyptians began to produce fairly large statues even before the beginning of Dynasty 1. Most of these statues represent animals. They may be the early forms of some later animal-headed gods, but their exact identities are not certain. This lion, for example, may have depicted a specific god or symbolized the royal might of a king. Only the animal's essential characteristics, including a small ruff, have been indicated in the very hard stone.

 

brooklyn museum,org