sphinx

(noun)

A creature with the head of a human and the body of an animal (commonly a lion).

Related Terms

  • quarry
  • limestone
  • mastaba
  • Pyramid Texts

Examples of sphinx in the following topics:

  • Sculpture of the Old Kingdom

    • The Great Sphinx, located among the Pyramids of Giza, is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 241 feet long, 63 feet wide, and 66.34 feet high.
    • Carved out of limestone, it represents a mythical creature known as a sphinx, with a lion's body and a human head.
    • It is commonly believed that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of the Fourth Dynasty (2680-2565 BCE) pharaoh Khafre, whose pyramid stands directly behind the giant sculpture.
    • The Great Sphinx, located among the Pyramids of Giza, is the largest monolith statue in the world.
  • The Etruscan Culture

    • Patterning and depictions of animals, especially lions, leopards, and mythological composite creatures such as sphinxes and griffins were common.
    • The sphinxes on the lid and on the bottom register, as well as the frieze of animals at the op, reflect the Eastern theme.
    • Pyxis with sphinx-shaped handle lid.
  • The Pyramids of the Old Kingdom

    • The Necropolis also includes several cemeteries, a workers' village, an industrial complex, and a massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx.
    • The Great Sphinx is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx—a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head.
    • Albumen print of the Sphinx of Giza, partially excavated, with two pyramids in background
    • The Great Sphinx of Giza is the largest monolith statue in the world and was believed to have been built for King Khafra during the 4th Dynasty.
  • Diocletian's Palace

    • Diocletian adorned his new home with numerous 3500-year-old granite sphinxes, originating from the site of Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III.
  • Humans and Their Deities

    • In some cases, this included a fusion of animal form with the face of the king or queen (as in the Hatshepsut-Sphinx, ) or as the god-king victors of an epic battle, as in the stele of Naran-Sin of Akkad (the first Mesopotamian king to claim divinity for himself, ).
    • Sphinx of Hatshepsut, the ancient Egyptian female pharaoh, with unusual rounded ears and ruff that stress the lioness features of the statue
  • Artistic Conventions in Painting

    • Examples of his work include the paintings "Virgil reading to Augustus," and "Oedipus and the Sphinx. " Both David and Ingres make use of the highly organized imagery, straight lines and clearly defined forms that are typical of Neoclassical painting during the 18th century.
  • Vase Painting in the Orientalizing Period

    • Animals such as lions, griffins, sphinxes, and sirens were depicted instead.
  • Mycenaean Ceramics

    • A painted plaster head of a female -- perhaps depicting a priestess, goddess, or sphinx -- is one of the few examples of large scale sculptural work.
    • Female head of a priestess, goddess, or sphinx.
  • Temple Architecture in the Greek Orientalizing Period

    • Atop the entablature sat sculptures of two winged female creatures resembling the sphinx or the lamassu of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian cultures.
  • Neoclassical Paintings

    • Examples of his Neoclassical work include the paintings Virgil Reading to Augustus (1812), and Oedipus and the Sphinx (1864).
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.