Lion Man

The Lion Man was discovered in shards of mammoth ivory just before WW2 began, in the rear of the Stadel Cave in the Swabian Alps, south-west Germany. It was only assembled in 1970, and was to be lent by the Ulm Museum as star exhibit for the British Museum’s “Ice Age Art”. However, new fragments have just been discovered and it has been found to be much older than originally thought. At around 40,000 years old it is the world’s earliest figurative sculpture . . . and the museum is busy piecing it together – a replica is being shown.

And of course the amazing fact is that it is such a powerful figure, a commanding presence now, imagine its aura back then.