Lion Figure
Indonesia
A recumbent figure constructed along a horizontal axis, the mass held low to the ground, with the forelegs extended forward and the head raised.
Description
Carved in teak, the lion lies with the forelegs extended and the hind legs drawn beneath the body, the head raised and turned slightly off axis. The jaws are open, with individually carved teeth. The mane, limbs and flanks are worked with dense directional incision; the torso is modelled in broader planes. The eyes are inlaid with amber-toned elements set in deeply carved sockets. The tail curves back alongside the hindquarters.
Surface is compact and stable. Patina is even across the teak, with tonal variation in the grain and exposure at projecting elements.
Context
Figures of this type belong to twentieth-century Indonesian carving, in which large animal subjects are rendered through established carving techniques.
Provenance
From the Roberto Lorenzelli Collection, acquired in Indonesia, 1980.
Details
- Title
- Lion Figure
- Origin
- Indonesia
- Date
- 20th century
- Dimensions
- L 165 cm (65 in) · H 54 cm (21.3 in) · D 70 cm (27.6 in)
- Medium
- Teak, inlaid eyes
- Provenance
- From the Roberto Lorenzelli Collection, acquired in Indonesia, 1980.
- Condition
- Surface stable; exposure at projecting elements.
