The Lion Man
c. 40,000 BCE
Mammoth ivory, 31 cm high

The Lion Man is a remarkable Ice Age sculpture, carved with extraordinary creativity, precision, and technical mastery from mammoth ivory. Standing at 31 centimeters tall, this enigmatic figure combines the features of a powerful cave lion with a human-like form.

Upright and poised, possibly balanced on tiptoe, his feline body is sleek yet muscular, with broad shoulders, defined hips, and a commanding stance. His head, crowned with a lion’s face, is turned forward with a focused gaze that seems to meet the viewer directly.

His expression conveys alertness and intention—he is watching, he is listening. As the oldest known example of a mythic or symbolic figure—part human, part animal—this hybrid being transcends the physical world, embodying early human ideas about the spiritual or supernatural.