The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 14, 2025

Sphinx

c. 500 BCE

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: 102D Pre-Roman

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.
  • CMA 1986: "Year in Review for 1985," CMA Bulletin 73 (Feb. 1986) 62, no. 2.
  • {{cite web|title=Sphinx|url=false|author=|year=c. 500 BCE|access-date=14 July 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.49