A fierce winged lion from the first Persian Empire.
I started this study out rough, blocking in the basic sketch. Once the main sketch was in, I added in the details, refining and adjusting things like the width of the wing, as I went along.
In addition to ancient Persia, I studied the work of goldsmiths from Tumaco, Colombia. The mask is a recovered stolen artifact, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/19000-artifacts-recovered-international-antiquities-trafficking-sting-1-180974836/
Gold material studies lead to this ornate winged lion medallion from Ancient Persia. It has loops on the back and would have been attached to clothing. This study flowed easily together, I used dark values in the background around the detailed face and wing to draw the eye there first.
"Persian Roundel. Achaemenid Period. ca. 4th - 5th century BC. This snarling winged lion worked in gold repoussé attests to the skill of goldsmiths. The back of the feline's body bears sixteen tiny loops for attachment to a garment. Greek writers often speak of the tremendous wealth of the Persians, and Herodotus writes that King Xerxes' troops "were adorned with the greatest magnificence...they glittered all over with gold, vast quantities of which they wore about their persons" (vii.83)."
