53. Sphinx Inlays

These ivory pieces are carved in the shape of sphinxes, with intricate incisions showing their tails, ribs, paws, feathered wings, headdresses and facial features in remarkable and individualistic detail. The sphinxes uphold royal cobras with solar disks on their heads (uraei). Originally the pieces were attached to a richly inlaid, cosmetic wooden box. They may have been arranged to face each other in a heraldic composition, possibly reflecting a solar religious concept (the twin aspects of the horizon, sunrise and sunset). While the motif is clearly Egyptianizing, the style is Greco-Roman demonstrating the cosmopolitan nature of Meroitic art. The ‘Ivory Road’ remained important in Meroitic times. The Meroitic rulers controlled the flow of precious commodities (gold, ivory, skins, ebony, ostrich goods, stones etc.), and sponsored the production of elaborate jewelry, furniture and other types of prestige artifacts. Scan the blue QR code nearby to see a 3D model of the inlays on a box!