Dagger Blade with Lion Hunt, Mycenae, Greece. c. 1550-1500 BCE.
Bronze inlaid with gold, silver, and niello. 23.8cm
National Archaeological Museum, Athens
The front of this dagger shows a group of four hunters battling a female lion while the male lions run away. This “flying-gallop” pose was how the ancient Mycenaean artists showed speed and energy. The back of the dagger, hard to see in the mirror, has a male lion attacking a deer while a small herd run down the length of the blade.
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