Egyptian, Naqada III-early Dynasty I (ca. 3300-3000 B.C.)
Said to be from Gebelein
Quartzite, H: 12 cm (4 3/4 in); L: 25.2 cm (9 15/16 in)
The blocky form of this lion cub lends formality and mass to this piece. By featuring only the animal's essential characteristics, the lion's strength is emphasized so that the charm associated with baby animals is not in evidence.
Predynastic animal figurines are significantly smaller, but a few late Predynastic-Early Dynastic works like this one are larger in scale, forerunners of the grandeur associated with later Pharonic temples. Given also the difficulty of working quartz, a material that fractures easily, this piece would have been an impressive donation to a deity at a temple."