The Lion of Knidos
- Audio guide stop: 191
- Culture: Hellenistic
- Date: 2ndC BC
- Object type: statue
- Materials: marble; glass (eyes)
- Museum number: 1859,1226.24
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Lion of Knidos," a powerful marble statue from the Hellenistic period, created around the second century BC. You’re looking at a massive, reclining lion carved in elegant detail from white marble. Originally, the lion’s eyes were inlaid, likely made of glass—an artful touch that is now missing.
This statue comes from Knidos, a historic Greek city in what is now Turkey. The lion was so impressive that it was once shipped to England aboard the HMS Supply. Its great size and expressive form reflect the dramatic realism valued in Hellenistic art. Standing at nearly two meters long, the lion’s muscular form and gentle repose invite you to consider both its strength and serenity.
See it in person
The Lion of Knidos is on display at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 191, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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