"Looking for Lion Gate of Mycenae reconstruction" Topic

Hello all,

I'm looking for a reconstructed image of the Lion Gate of Mycenae – what it is speculated to have looked like before time wore off the top of the Lions' heads.

Pictures like this:

I've been able to find in plenty – but I want something I can use as a guideline to sculpt it in 28mm, and that means some sort of reconstructed illustration.

And, for the historical purists – I realize that any reconstruction involves a bit of speculation, but surely someone has made that guess at some point? I don't think there's much in the way of Mycenaean sculpture that's survived to modern times, but I hope there's enough that someone's made an educated guess about what the lions may have originally looked like.

Thanks for any help!

-Alex

I'd take a look at Peter Connolly's stuff and see if he did it at some point.

Alex,

Does this help? This is another lion gate nearby:

link

varchive.org/dag/lionga.htm

And this was found in Mycenae:

Another Mycenaean lion:

SUGGESTION: I would use the gold piece and make the lions on the gate face the people as they approach the city. There's very little room for heads in profile.

Dan

I was able to find this undated drawing: link

Three takes on the lions themselves: link

One of the takes:



I think you could make a fair stab at a sculpt with those.

An interesting aerial view drawing of a reconstructed Mycenae:



I was lucky enough to visit Mycenae a few years ago. One thing that very few of the photos convey is the commanding view of the surrounding countryside from the fortress. It really takes your breath away.

I think the Osprey book has it in the color drawings.

I don't know if this helps or not .

Above the lintel of the gate of the acropolis of Mycenae was placed a relief that depicted a pair of griffins. The animals combined the body of a lion with the head of an eagle. The heads were separately carved – the left of reddish yellow quartzite amethystine, the right of bluish violet amethyst – and attached to their respective bodies with dowels. The eagles looked down, their vertical beaks resting on four rosettes on the capitel of a Minoan column. The curved lintel symbolized the earth; the tympanum made of four altars (only two visible) symbolized Mycenae. The lions symbolized the Mycenaean kings; the eagles Zeus; the column kingship and heaven; while the four rosettes symbolized the four heavenly directions, the yellow eagle's head in the east, morning, and the violet eagle's head in the west, evening.

Taken from seshat.ch/home/homer1.htm

"A Replica of the Lion Gate of Mycenae in the Garden of Ancient Greece" at the Xian 2011 Expo:

link

link

Similar to what I suggested, with the faces towards those arriving to the city.

I wouldn't have put manes on them though.

Dan

You guys have the best Google-fu!

Thanks!

Yes, this is the kind of thread that makes visiting TMP a joy.

Alex:

I made one out of Styrofoam covered with plaster a long time ago:

I sized it by copying a photo of it and enlarging it until I thought is was about right. I then traced the design onto the Styrofoam and carved the design and stone work before covering it with plaster.

It was more of a display thing – I later dismantled it intending to add walls to the sides. I also carved the heads off after reading they likely faced towards the front. Then I saw other Mycenaean artwork that had the head facing inwards toward each other and wish I had left them alone. Best, Dean

I guess it wasn't entirely triangular either:

Interesting what happens when you block out the surrounding masonry.

Dan
PS. Dean, that looked awesome!!!

Good thread, and great work with the scenery, Dean!

Dean – that is almost *exactly* what I'm planning on doing – yours looks fantastic!

What a tremendous, informative post. Well done all concerned. There is a lot of talent out there.

DeanMoto, what a great piece of work.

Thanks for the all the kind words. The figures in the scene are all Redoubt. I'm not sure if a chariot ever rode through the gate, but it looked cool. I understand from those who've visited the site that it is indeed large enough for a chariot to pass through though. Best, Dean