The Hunter King | Special Display
Plate depicting a Sasanian king hunting lions on horseback
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February 7 2024
Curator: Laura A. Peri
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Permanent Exhibition Galleries, Archaeology Wing, Ancient Near East
Kings hunting lions are among the earliest royal images. Perceived as the most dangerous beast, the lion symbolized the hostile uncivilized world. Defeated and subdued, it became an attribute of warrior deities, and kings who overpowered this primeval foe were bestowed a godlike status.
The first known king depicted hunting lions on horseback was Ashurbanipal, the last great king of Assyria, in the 7th century BCE.
Plate depicting a Sasanian king hunting lions on horseback
Mazandaran (?), Iran, Qajar Period, early 20th century, after a 5th–6th-century work, tinned bronze
Gift of Iris Rabenou-Solomon, New York
Photo: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by Zohar Shemesh
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