In the cool of evening
David Shepherd
"In the cool of evening" (Silkscreen)
Signed, limited edition Silkscreen of 350
Date of publication December 2002
Image Size 16.6" x 30"
mint condition
In sub-Saharan Africa, the lion has been a common character in stories, proverbs and dances, but rarely featured in visual arts.
In some cultures, the lion symbolises power and royalty.
In the Swahili language, the lion is known as simba which also means 'aggressive', "king" and 'strong'.
Some rulers had the word 'lion' in their nickname. Sundiata Keita of the Mali Empire was called 'Lion of Mali'.
The founder of the Waalo kingdom is said to have been raised by lions and returned to his people part-lion to unite them using the knowledge he learned from the lions.
In parts of West Africa, lions symbolised the top class of their social hierarchies.
In more heavily forested areas where lions were rare, the leopard represented the top of the hierarchy.
In parts of West and East Africa, the lion is associated with healing and is regarded as the link between seers and the supernatural.
In other East African traditions, the lion is the symbol of laziness.
In much of African folklore, the lion is portrayed as having low intelligence and is easily tricked by other animals.
The ancient Egyptians portrayed several of their war deities as lionesses, which they revered as fierce hunters.
Egyptian deities associated with lions include Sekhmet, Bast, Mafdet, Menhit, Pakhet and Tefnut.
These deities were often connected with the sun god Ra and his fierce heat, and their dangerous power was invoked to guard people or sacred places.
The sphinx, a figure with a lion's body and the head of a human or other creature, represented a pharaoh or deity who had taken on this protective role.
