A Near Eastern Carnelian Lion Amulet, Proto-Elamite period, ca. 3100 - 2700 BCE

This charming image takes full advantage of the color variations from fine two-toned carnelian.  The beast is rendered in relief, its turned head with round cheeks flanking a wedge-shaped nose, is sculpted fully in the round. The white head contrasts beautifully with the recumbent orange body.  Such relief sculpture is unusual for Central Asia: the only other published examples are a fragment of a steatite plaque from Margiana with a low-relief image of a recumbent bull and a few small fragments of floral and figural decoration for a "mosaic" found at Dashli Tepe.  

For a related example see: Pittman, Holly. (1984). Art of the Bronze Age: southeastern Iran, western Central Asia, and the Indus Valley. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 51 #23

Dimensions: Length: 3 cm (1.18 inches), Width: 2.6 cm (1.02 inches)

Condition:  Intact and in very good condition. A rare and truly charming example.

Provenance:  Alex Malloy collection, acquired in the 1980s.