Black-Figure Kylix with a Lion Attacking a Bull in the Getty Villa, July 2008

Wine Cup with a Lion Attacking a Bull
Greek, made in Athens, about 540 BC
Terracotta
Black-figured lip cup

Inventory # 86.AE.161

In the center of this wine cup, a ferocious lion leaps onto the back of a collapsing bull. Lion attacks are frequently depicted in ancient art, probably symbolizing heroic or divine triumph. Here the artist's skill is evident in the way motion is indicated by only a few white and incised lines in the animals' bodies.

Text from the Getty Villa museum label.