Since the dawn of history, the lion has represented nobility, pride, power and strength. Kings and princes have adorned their places with lion motifs, while the pharaohs of Egypt placed their portraits on lion bodies. This unusual bronze appliqué, created at the height of the Roman Empire, must originally have been the handle on a wooden chest. The ring that fit through the lion's mouth has disappeared, but the fierce expression on the beast's face has not. It must have been something rare and precious that the lion guarded so long ago. Though much has changed in the world since this ornament was new, its aura of vanished glory still speaks directly to the imagination.