This is a bronze foot in the form of a sphinx originally made in Greece around 600 BC. It was a gift from the family of Howard J. Barnet in his memory, 2000. Between the eighth and sixth centuries B.C., elaborate bronze vessels were among the preeminent creations of Greek artists. This foot was probably one of three supporting an extremely large, shallow basin. Mythilogical creatures such as the sphinx here and the griffin nearby (also uploaded on Scan The World and MyMiniFactory) nearby should be understood as guardian figures and not simply decoration.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.