Meet the guardian of the Egyptian galleries

Start with the lion’s body, resting with its weight close to the ground. Then look at the human face. That combination makes a sphinx recognisable. Two different forms come together in a single creature. This is the Great Sphinx of Tanis. Its royal face joins the force of the lion with the image of kingship. You can see how the idea works without reading an inscription. The body supplies strength, while the face gives that strength a human identity. At the entrance to the Egyptian collection, the sphinx brings a royal face and an animal body into the same image. Look first at the head and then at the paws. You can recognise the strength of the animal and the identity of a ruler without having to read the inscriptions. Look again at the meeting of head and body. Keep that combination in mind as you walk towards other Egyptian images. For now, notice the low, settled weight of the lion and the face looking out above it.