A mottled red sandstone figure of a lion

The lion is associated with regality, strength and power, and serves as a powerful symbol of Buddha. His teachings are somtimes referred to as the "Lion's Roar", indicative of their strength and power. The lion is also a symbol of the Shakya clan, from which Shakyamuni descended.
Large images of lions such as this guarded the entrances to Buddhist edifices. With a frontal approach in mind, they would not be depicted as a complete figure, but as emerging from a backdrop. The emphasis is on expression, rather than on naturalism.
For other examples, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, see S. Czuma, Kushan Sculpture: Images from Early India, 1985, cat. no. 50, p. 123; and in the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, see P. Pal, A Collecting Odyssey, 1997, cat. no. 337, p. 244 and 348.