Ancient Egyptian sphinx statue of Wah-ib-re, 360 BC, 30th Dynasty, Kunsthistorisches Muesum Vienna inv AS 76. Limestone. This sphinx was originally
Ancient Egyptian sphinx statue of Wah-ib-re, 360 BC, 30th Dynasty, Kunsthistorisches Muesum Vienna inv AS 76. Limestone. This sphinx was originally made for a king; General Wah-ib-re had it reworked for his own use.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. The Egyptian sphinx is a combination of the body of a lion and the head of a king. It is always composed of male elements. Since time immemorial the lion has been linked to the depiction of the sun god. Perhaps it is for this reason that the sphinx represents the dogmatic situation that the king has become the solar divinity.
Size: 4048px × 5566px
Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna ( Museum of Art History Vienna)
Photo credit: © funkyfood London - Paul Williams / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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