35. Pendant: Lion’s Head presumably the main view when the pendant was suspended, the impression of a compressed composition disappears. In fact, it reads very much like that of the head of 77.AO.81.10 (cat. no. 36), which is three- dimensional. From its general structure to the details of the eyes, mane, and chin, the head is a combination of flattened and plastically modeled forms. Engraved lines mark the mouth, the muzzle wrinkles, the circumscription of the eyes, the eyebrows, and the fillet at the back. The slanted- back eyes, of an almost rectangular form, are deeply carved, leaving the eyeballs protruding above the cheek plane. The folded-over ears, of triangular shape with soft Accession 77.AO.81.9 points, arise from the back of the mane. The snout is Number smooth and softly curved, stepping down to the tip of the Culture Etruscan nose, which tilts upward. The nose-to-chin line is even and tapers in slightly. The nostrils are drilled. Date 525–480 B.C. Dimensions Height: 9 mm; width: 17 mm; depth: 9 mm; The muzzle itself is flat and wrinkled, with five folds of Weight: 1.3 g flesh that are rendered by uneven diagonal grooves radiating from the mouth rather than from the philtrum. Subjects Lion Three ruffled bulges break the line of the mouth on the sides. The underside of the jaw and throat area is flat. The Provenance mane is schematically rendered as a smooth collar. At the back termination are two parallel grooved lines. –1977, Gordon McLendon (Dallas, TX), donated to the J. Patterns of tiny scratches caused by abrasion are visible Paul Getty Museum, 1977. on the back of the piece. Two holes 1 mm in diameter are Condition bored into the base, originating near the outer edge, sloping downward and inward toward the center. A pair The lion’s head is intact and in excellent condition; the of 1.5 mm–diameter perforations is drilled under the surface is smooth and firm. There are only a few small throat area: one bore originates below the right ear, and a chips, on the throat area and on the back of the mane. second begins below the left corner of the jaw. These Pale yellow mottling covers much of the surface. Pale latter perforations might have been secondary to those on yellow-ocher patina (degraded amber) surrounds the eyes the base. When suspended by the base borings, the lion and lies in other crevices. The amber is dark brownish would have hung nose downward. If it had been red in ambient light. In transmitted light, it is translucent suspended from the cross-bore through the head, it would and bright reddish orange. One long inclusion runs the have hung nose upward. length of the head. Discussion Description The pose of the head and neck encodes a mixture of lion In form and profile views, the narrowness and flatness of behaviors: repose is implied both by the closed mouth and this head are striking. The height is proportionally low in by the relaxed eyes; the inclination of the head suggests comparison to its width and length. From the dorsal view, 227