Crouching Lion

myminifactory

The lion and lioness crouching statues were strategically placed at the base of the monument to serve as vigilant guardians of the tomb. Initially, there may have been four such statues, one stationed at each corner. The style of these sculptures seems to predate that of the Monument itself. It is possible that they were repurposed from a previous tomb decoration or created contemporaneously with the Nereid Monument in an intentionally archaizing manner.