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Details
LOT 0040
Phoenicio-Egyptian Black Stone Scaraboid with Lions
6TH CENTURY B.C.
1 1/8 in. (14.5 grams, 28 mm).
With gusset to the sidewall and incuse design to the underside of opposed winged lions each with one forepaw raised.
Provenance
Ex collection of the late Mr S. M., London, UK, 1970-1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Footnotes
Phoenician scarabs with winged lions were often used as guardian figures, much like Mesopotamian lamassu or Egyptian sphinxes. On amulets and seals, they likely served as apotropaic (evil-averting) symbols. In Phoenician and Persian art, hybrid creatures like winged lions reflect a cosmopolitan visual language, blending Egyptian, Assyrian, and Achaemenid motifs. They could symbolise imperial power or transcultural authority. In some cases, winged lions are linked to deities or divine guardianship, especially when shown flanking sacred symbols like trees, thrones, or sun discs.
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