Description:
19th century
Pair of sphinxes
Wood, cm 16.5 x 15.5 x 6
Present in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek mythology, the sphinx is a being usually depicted with a human head and lion's body. Sometimes, however, it is also given raptor wings and a snake instead of a tail, and the human head is replaced with falcon or goat heads. However, it has different origins and functions in the three mythologies. In Egypt, the sphinx is the guardian of the pyramids, which, silent and imperturbable, seems to be as old as the earth itself. In Mesopotamia, it is associated with the figures of the lamassu, hybrid creatures with a human head and either a lion or bull body, also equipped with wings, considered beneficial entities bringing strength and wisdom, placed to protect cities and palaces. In Greek mythology, on the other hand, the sphinx is a creature, daughter of Typhon and Echidna and sister of monstrosities such as the Chimera, the Hydra, and Cerberus. In this case, it is a monster that scourged the city of Thebes, questioning passersby and devouring those who could not solve its riddles, riddles solved only by the intrepid Oedipus.
These two carved wooden sculptures depict two sphinxes with leonine bodies and female chests and faces. Datable to the 19th century, they are part of that cultural movement that leads to the rediscovery of the East; the Orientalism current spreads especially in England and France, started in the late eighteenth century and finds its maximum diffusion in the nineteenth century, especially following Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798.
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