The Löwenmensch (German for lion-person) is a figurine of a man with a lion’s head, carved from a mammoth’s tusk at least 35,000 years ago. Most interpretations assume that it was carved for ritualistic and shamanic purposes, but I think it may simply have been a toy. It’d have taken a long time to carve, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it was made for anything but joy and entertainment. More generally, I believe it’s a mistake to attribute deep meaning to ancient art. A lot of it may be art for art’s sake, without any connection to religion or spirituality.
Nehaveigur 