LION WALL ART
Lions have been around in art since the beginning of civilization. They adorn palaces, flags, emblems, public squares – they are pretty much everywhere. So much so, that art critic Alaistair Sooke, writing for the BBC, believes that lions are so commonplace in art that we often forget that they are there. However, that doesn’t change the reason why the lions are there.
For the first few millennia of human evolution, large cats, like lions, were the apex predators dominating the landscape. They were agile, skilled hunters, who were feared and revered by less physically capable humans. For these reasons, it makes sense that humans came to associate the lion with ideas of strength, power, wisdom, and nobility. As lions were also observed to be extremely territorial, and even willing to die to defend their territory, early kings and rulers had their palace entrances filled with images and sculptures of lions to guard their palaces. Additionally, because lions hunt in packs, or prides, they symbolize unity and co-operation. However, they also are associated with leadership and royalty, as the lion’s social structure is similar to humans.
