In the ancient world, lions were associated with nobility, hunting and courage, and their image was adopted as the symbol of royalty, strength and power. Lions appeared in many forms of Greek art, from architecture to frescoes, vases and gemstones.
Rhyta were frequently modelled in the form of a lion’s head and body. The rhyton originated in the Near East, but became popular in the Greek world where the vessels were used as drinking horns. The word ‘rhyton’ is derived from the Greek verb meaning ‘flowing’; wine was poured into the top of the vessel and emerged out of a small spout at the mouth.
During the Bronze Age (ca 3200–1200 BCE), rhyta were used for sacrificial ceremonies and some of them would have contained the blood of sacrificed animals. This object is from a later period and is mouldmade, indicating that this design would have been reproduced many times.
