Preview of the Guennol Lionness, a 5000 year old Mesopotamian sculpture

(30 Nov 2007) 1. Pull out Sotheby’s auction house in New York 2. Push in Sotheby’s sculpture gallery 3. Tilt up sculpture, “The Guennol Lioness,“ estimated to sell for $14 to $18 million US dollars 4. Tight shot head of Lioness sculpture 5. Tight shot paws of Lioness sculpture 6. SOUNDBITE: (English): Richard Keresey, Head of Sotheby’s Antiquities Department: “From that period there are many objects, they tend often to be small because you can travel with them easier, et cetera, et cetera. But I think in this case what’s so wonderful is that although she’s small physically, she nevertheless conveys a tremendous monumentality. She really fills up your field of vision when you look at her in person.“ 7. Tight shot sculpture 8. SOUNDBITE: (English): Richard Keresey, Head of Sotheby’s Antiquities Department: “We don’t know a tremendous amount about the culture from which it originates but we can tell from images of this same lioness on cylinder seal impressions, that she was considered a figure of great power because these cylinder seals show her larger than mountains, bigger than trees, and sometimes even holding up mountains. So I’d say that she represented the power of nature.“ 9. Mid shot Lioness sculpture in case 10. Close of sculpture, from the back 11. Tight shot of upper body of sculpture STORYLINE A 5,000 year old miniature sculpture is due to go on sale at Sotheby’s in New York next week, possibly fetching up to $18 million US dollars. At 3 1/4 inches tall, “The Guennol Lioness,“ was carved in the ancient region of Mesopotamia around 3,000 B.C. It was created during the “dawn of civilisation,“ along with the invention of writing and the first use of the wheel. Richard Keresey, Head of Sotheby’s Antiquities Department, said although the sculpture is very small, it’s still quite an imposing figure. “I think in this case what’s so wonderful is that although she’s small physically, she nevertheless conveys a tremendous monumentality. She really fills up your field of vision when you look at her in person,“ said Keresey. Little is known of the sculpture’s origins, but based on seal impressions from the same period, it is believed that the Lioness symbolised some kind of supernatural force, possibly even a diety. “She was considered a figure of great power because these cylinder seals show her larger than mountains, bigger than trees, and sometimes even holding up mountains. So I’d say that she represented the power of nature,“ said Keresey. The Lioness was consigned to Sotheby’s by a charitable trust from the Martin family - it was acquired by Alastair and Edith Martin in 1948 from renowned art dealer Joseph Brummer. The sculpture will be sold at Sotheby’s New York on December 5th, as a part of their Antiquities sale. It is estimated to sell for between $14 to $18 million US dollars. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: