Divided lion takes pride of place

Two halves of a sculpture dating from 500 BC have been reunited after spending most of their existence apart, following an international search that began with an expert's hunch twenty years ago and led him on a trail from Newcastle upon Tyne to Zurich, in Switzerland, via Ohio in the USA.

Now, the two halves of the terracotta lion's head, which would have decorated an ancient Greek temple, have gone on display together at Newcastle University's Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology.

One half of the sculpture � the right-hand side � has been on display at Newcastle University since the 1970s, when it was purchased from Christie's by the late Lionel Jacobson, a major benefactor of the University�s Greek collection, and given on loan to the University's Greek Museum.

LINKS
BBC
SHEFTON MUSEUM
Other Museum Web Sites
University of Newcastle

i wonder how the poor sculpture got split in two in the first place. glad to see it back together again now...to think it's from 500 B.C. wow!!

i wonder how the poor sculpture got split in two in the first place. glad to see it back together again now...to think it's from 500 B.C. wow!!

Maybe it was a "Gordian Knot" situation, it's pretty evenly cleaved.

Spiderj

Se7en, thats an interesting article you've found. I find it amazing that they've been able to piece it together after its separation, 5000 bc ~ amazing!

Spider, are you following me?
j/k

Spider, are you following me?

The correct term is stalking...

Nyuk,

Spiderj

I love it how the halves are still relatively unchipped and cracked. It's always a good thing to see works of art coming back together. Now if only we can find the Sphinx's nose.

[Edited on 15-4-2004 by IKnowNothing]

always makes you wonder how much outher museums have outher half,s to