User:Shakedownstreet120/Pisa Griffin

Pisa Griffin

Intro
The Pisa Griffin is a large sculpture made up of bronze. Because of carbon dating it was determined that the griffin dates back to the eleventh or twelfth century. Although the Pisa Griffin has islamic origins the griffin has stayed in Pisa Italy since the middle ages. It resides in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) in Pisa. The Pisa Griffin is the biggest full metal islamic medieval statue. It comes in at 1.07 meters in height (42 in)

Description
The Pisa Griffin is a sculpture of the mythical creature the griffin. The Griffin has the head of an eagle, the body of a lion with wings, with ears of a horse, and wattles like a rooster. The body and wings seem to have been casted at different times and later put together. Its dimensions are 107 centimeters (42 in) X 90 centimeters (35 in) X 46 centimeters (18 in).

There is kufic writing inscribed on three sides of the griffins body that gives a very kind and heartwarming message that expresses good wishes to its owner. When translated the inscription reads “perfect blessing, complete favor, perfect felicity, lasting peace, good health, in full and the promise of happiness to its owner”. In Arabic the writing is translated to read the following “baraka kāmila wa ni‘ma shāmila ghibṭa kāmila wa salāma dā’ima wa ‘āfiya kāmila wa sa‘āda wa‘īda li-ṣāḥibihi”.

Along with the inscription there are also beautiful markings all up and down the griffin. Its back is aligned with spots running all the way up to its neck, and on the neck and wings it is lined with feather markings. On the legs there are markings of two other animals surrounded by wavey designs and swirls alike. One the griffins front to legs there is a lion carved into the upper part of a leg and in the same location on the back legs with the image of an eagle. Both carvings are mirrored images of one another.

Later advancements
The Griffin has been heavily studied by scientists and examined using metallurgical and ballistic analysis. 3D scanning has helped continue the study of the Pisa griffin by a tremendous amount. It was found that the griffin has three holes that lead to a vesicle inside of the statue. One hole at the mouth, another is at the back end, and the third is under the belly. The holes tunnel through the artifact to an inner chamber. 3D scannings also helped with the advancements of the outside of the artifact as well. For example the 3D showed that it was clear that the griffin was casted in two different pieces. It was also able to find that the griffin did show signs of some structural defects including the different tools used to carve in the patterns on the outside of the structure and from the fusion of the bronze.

Musical instrument theory
While there is no way to know for sure what was the intent behind the making of Pisa griffin, that hasn't stopped people from coming up with their own theories on how the griffin could have been used. A more recent theory is that the griffin was some sort of sound making device. Since the griffin was designed with and internal vessel it's thought that if wind were to blow into the vessel that it would be able to emit noises.

A supporting factor in the theory is that the Griffin sat on top of the Pisa Cathedral until 1828. By sitting way up in the sky the artifact would catch wind and as the wind would blow through the griffin it would make "rawring or grawling" noises.

What else?
This Pisa Griffin isn't alone in its set. There are two other sculptures that are very similar. The more similar of the two is the Mari Chan Lion which is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The lion has markings to the griffin including engraved kufic writing on three sides and similar designs around the lion's exterior. Just like how the griffin has markings of a lion and eagle on its likes the lion has markings of a griffin and an eagle in the same places. As well as for the eagle has a lion and a griffin on its wings.