A Large 18th Century Shield Bearing 3-Pc Terracotta Lion Statue From England

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An imposing piece of English art dating to the 1700s, this lion statue consists of three pieces of terra cotta … Read more An imposing piece of English art dating to the 1700s, this lion statue consists of three pieces of terra cotta with an ochre finish. A “shield bearer”, the sejant (seated) lion has its left paw on a complex coat of arms featuring a teardrop-shaped shield (which was often seen in the 12th and early 13th centuries). The lion has a very expressive face and excellent details of the mane. He is depicted sitting on a pile of leaves atop a rocky terrain.

The heraldic shield is quartered and topped by a bend sinister that is emblazoned with three anchors. Each quarter is textured with either fluting or small hammer marks and contains at least one lion. A much smaller shield is positioned in the center of the teardrop shield (partially obscured by the bend) with the three lions of England. Lions symbolize courage, nobility, and strength, and it was common for nobility to utilize these regal creatures in their coat of arms. Richard the Lionheart was the first English monarch to use three lions as a symbol of the crown in the late 12th century. See less