Images
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=F3B61D160A6FE94A7488712D82ED5B7099163A7ED6214BA60D7D3BEEFE3341BE&s=24247294&se=965162967&v=4&f=1985.49det01_o2.jpg
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https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=F3B61D160A6FE94AF22C7DB2CEFE8874FA817E20ADC8483CFFD3D96A4954E41B&s=24247294&se=965162967&v=1&f=%5C1985.49det02_o2.jpg
Apr 16, 2009
Apr 16, 2009
Apr 16, 2009
Sphinx
Sphinx
c. 500 BC
Amber
Overall: 5.8 x 2.3 cm (2 5/16 x 7/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1985.49
Location
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Did you know?
A sphinx combines the body of a winged lion with the head of a woman.
Description
Amber, a form of fossilized tree resin, was much prized in the ancient Mediterranean world, perhaps due to its mysterious luminosity, fragrance, and magnetism. It was often carved into figures or heads of humans, animals, or mythical creatures. Small perforations on this sphinx suggest that it may once have been mounted, perhaps for use as a pendant. Although now opaque and crackled due to age, in antiquity the surface probably exhibited some degree of translucence, a valued attribute for amulets and ornaments.
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