30th Dynasty, 380–343 BC, Presumably from Lower Egypt
This sphinx was originally made for a king; General Wah-ib-re had it reworked for his own use. Sphinxes normally combine the body of a lion with the head of a king; since the Old Kingdom they were symbols of power and protection. Wah-ib-re had inscriptions added to this sphinx to ensure that it guarded his very own tomb.
Statue
Ägyptisch
Late Period
30th Dynasty, 380–343 BC
Limestone
H 61,5 cm, B 31,5 cm, L 105 cm,
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Ägyptisch - Orientalische Sammlung
Ägyptische Sammlung, INV 76
1875, acquired from the collection of Heinrich Brugsch
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