Pillar capital in the form of a winged lion

1st–early 2nd century CE

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This winged lion capital would have sat atop a pillar (stambha) at the entrance to a religious enclosure. Its hybrid form, with a lion’s head and forebody and wings that morph into the tail of an aquatic creature, embodies the cultural exchange between West Asia and India in the early centuries BCE. The winged lion is identified with Achaemenid Iran but can ultimately be traced to sphinx capitals from Attic Greek grave-marker columns. The creature was an immensely popular motif in early Buddhist stupa decoration and often merged with crocodile and elephant elements into the mythical aquatic creature known as the makara. Winged lions, griffins, and other leonine creatures were a regular feature of early Buddhist scenes of devotion and a prominent feature of stupa gateways and railings.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Pillar capital in the form of a winged lion
Period: Kushana
Date: 1st–early 2nd century CE
Culture: India, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
Medium: Sandstone
Dimensions: H. 36 5/8 in. (93 cm); W. 43 1/8 in. (109.5 cm); D. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Lent by Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Curatorial Department: Asian Art