Lion man of the Hohlenstein Stadel

A lion-headed figure, first called the lion man (German: Löwenmensch, literally "lion human"), then the lion lady (German: Löwenfrau), is an ivory sculpture that is both the oldest known zoomorphic (animal-shaped) sculpture in the world, and the oldest known uncontested example of figurative art yet discovered. The sculpture has also been interpreted as anthropomorphic, giving human characteristics to an animal, although it may have represented a deity. The figurine was determined to be about 40,000 years old by carbon dating material from the same layer in which the sculpture was found. It is associated with the archaeological Aurignacian culture.^[2] The sculpture is 29.6 cm (11.7 inches) in height, 5.6 cm wide, and 5.9 cm thick. It was carved out of mammoth ivory using a flint stone knife. There are seven parallel, transverse, carved gouges on the left arm. It is now in the museum in Ulm, Germany.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion man of the Hohlenstein Stadel
• Page 26 - Harari, Y. N., 2015, apiens: A Brief History of Humankind, HARVILL SECKER, 416p.