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Confronted-animals

Confronted-animals, where two animals face each other in a symmetrical pose, is an ancient bilateral motif in art and archaeology. The motif often involves a central figure between the two confronted-animals and thus, is part of a probable unified socio-cultural motif. It is thought that the iconography sometimes has ritual and religious associations; for example, the Lion Gate of Mycenae has a column representing a goddess between the protective, surmounted and confronted lionesses standing with two feet on the ground and two on the same base on which the column rests.

Examples from archaelogy

Cylinder seals

Examples of confronted-animals exist on Cylinder seals from Mesopotamia. Deities, or heroes grasping lions, cattle, griffins, or other imaginary creatures are sometimes found.

Cylinder seals involving confronted-goats surrounding a central Tree of life on a 'cone' or mountain platform is one common theme. Two deities are thought to be holding the animals under their control.

Because cylinder seals are numerous and also come from pre-historical periods, back to the fourth or fifth millenniums, themes are varied. Another Tree of life type of confronted-animals cylinder seal has a "hero grasping water buffalo" and a "bull-man grasping lions", each between the animals; again, the central figure is the "Tree-of-Life".

Confronted snakes

Confronted snakes are frequent images in many cultures from ancient times to historical periods. Often associated with religious ceremonies and deities, perhaps the most familiar figure known popularly from ancient times is the deity or priestess of Crete depicted holding up two confronted snakes on either side of her.

A chlorite vessel [ from the area of contemporary Bagdad, Iraq depicts three pairs of confronted-animals. Two confronted-snakes are being held in the hands of the central figure; below the snake-pair are a pair of anti-confronted-lionesses, recumbent. The third pair of animals are two anti-confronted bovines with a human or deity between also. A lion and other animals are depicted to the right.

Narmer Palette

The Narmer Palette has two confronted mythical felines on the reverse side, sometimes called serpopards because of their exaggerated long necks which look snakelike. The entire theme of the Narmer Palette, is about the Pharaoh of the newly unified Ancient Egypt represented in two scenes, (palette obverse, palette reverse). On one side the pharaoh wears the crown of Upper Egypt and on the other, the pharaoh wears the crown of Lower Egypt. Thus, it is thought that the animals with their intertwining necks are representing two kingdoms, once separate, but now unified under one pharaoh. The lioness Bast had been the protective deity of one kingdom and the lioness Sekhmet of the other kingdom, equally important deities in each of the early Egyptian pantheons. Respectively, they were the special protectors of the pharaoh in each kingdom, who persisted as deities throughout the long history of unified Ancient Egypt. Eventually their roles diverged, however, with one becoming less of the protector and warrior deity and assigned other roles. Typically, many similar deities in the two kingdoms soon were merged, so the retention of both is thought to be the result of the long and strong tradition of each.

Examples of other confronted animals exist on many cosmetic palettes of Ancient Egypt that have been discovered. Bilaterally depicted palm trees also are known; one palette has confronted-hippopotamuses.

Mycenae Lion Gate

The gate to the citadel of Mycenae is shown to the right. It crowned the major entrance gateway to the ancient citadel that was the centre of the culture, Mycenaean Greece, that predated that of Greece, and is a well known example of two confronted lionesses.

Gebel el-Arak Knife

The reverse side of the Gebel el-Arak Knife handle, shows two powerful confronted lions, separated by a figure who is grasping them. The other iconography of the handle is consistent with the archaeological cosmetic palettes that were designed for their iconographic and pictorial expression. Of note, the knob on the reverse shows the top end of the hole for a cord or rope, on the suspension lug; this knife may have been worn around the neck ceremonially.

Asian and European art

Confronted animals also are found extensively in Asian art and in textiles, including rugs, across Eurasia. In Europe they are an important motif in animal style, or zoomorphic decoration, Insular art, and the Romanesque.

The early Anglo-Saxon ship burial found in contemporary Great Britain at Sutton Hoo, from the seventh century AD, contains famous examples of Migration Period art.

The Sutton Hoo purse lid has three stylized confronted-animal pairs; the two side pairs, left and right, are identical, and have the animals in the person's clutched grasp. The central confronted-animals are even more complex in theme.