Description

Statuette of a lion, 11th-12th C CE, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. From the object's description on [artsmia.org](https://artsmia.org/): *"This rare and enigmatic gold sculpture of a lion—a symbol of power and authority—is elaborately decorated with looping filigree and fine granulation, in keeping with the Islamic goldsmithing traditions of the later Muslim kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Spain and Portugal). Islam arrived in Europe in 711 CE, bringing new traditions in the decorative arts, such as the animal-shaped aquamanile: a vessel used for hand washing, which the Qur’an requires before prayer. The work closest in size, style, and workmanship to this lion is a winged ram found in northwestern Spain, leading us to believe that this work, too, is from Muslim Spain."* More information [here](https://collections.artsmia.org/art/19884/statuette-of-a-lion-unknown) Model building and customization for Mia by [Lou Brown](https://www.artstation.com/loubrown)