Löwenmensch (Lion Man) - The World’s Oldest Sculpture

Löwenmensch (Lion Man) c. 40,000 BCE - 29.6 cm (11.7 inches) in height, 5.6 cm wide, and 5.9 cm thick - Ulmer Museum - Ulm, GermanyThis sculpture—Löwenmensch (Lion Person)—was found in Germany in 1939—broken into over 200 pieces. It’s a work carved out of ivory from a mammoth, worked with a flint stone knife. It’s both the oldest known sculpture in the world (created c. 40,000 BCE), and the oldest known uncontested example of figurative art yet discovered—with hybrid zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features. The “Venus of Willendorf” no longer holds that honor, people. She’s only 27,000 years old! Arts culture is always learning more.

The pieces from this work were stored until the late 1960s, when a reconstruction was attempted but remained incomplete. Further excavations led to the discovery of more pieces. In 1988—a complete reconstruction was finally possible, and this is the result. The age of the figurine was determined by carbon dating material from the same layer where the sculpture’s pieces were found. Through study, we now know that it’s associated with the archaeological Aurignacian culture (35,000 to 45,000 years ago) located in both Europe and Asia. There are seven parallel, transverse, carved gouges on the left arm—and archeologists and art historians are still working on determining their significance. The reconstruction and understanding of a work of art can often take a very long time. Arts culture can only do what its knowledge and resources allow, at any given time.