Fragment of a Lion's Head Waterspout in the Getty Villa, July 2008

Lion's Head Waterspout
Greek, made in Athens, about 400 BC
Marble
Sima fragment

Inventory # 83.AA.245

Greek artists cleverly adapted architectural elements as decorative devices. Once attached to a sima, a roof element that functioned as a gutter, this waterspout protected a building from rainwater damage. The image of the lion was believed to guard the building and its inhabitants from potential enemies.

Text from the Getty Villa museum label.