Lions traditionally are a popular ornamental item. Downtown Columbus features at least three of them that I can think of: the pair of colossal belly-down, stretched-out granite lions bracketing the entrance to the police headquarters, one of which is seen above, and the smaller, seated lion with a serious and thoughtful expression on his face found in front of one of the hotels on Nationwide Boulevard. Both are nice, although I prefer the sculptures in front of the police HQ, which are beautifully rendered and in a pose you don’t often see.
It’s no surprise that lion artwork is so commonplace. Lions are the “king of the jungle,” after all, and are associated with positive qualities like courage, nobility, and fierceness. When it comes to ornamental items, lions unquestionably lead the pack over all other animals, and it’s really not even a close contest.
But you have to wonder if we aren’t giving other creatures of the veldt and the jungle short shrift. Why not more statuary of elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, gorillas, and wildebeest? Most animals are associated with some good quality that we can celebrate, like elephants and memory, rhinos and toughness, and gorillas and strength. And even an occasional hyena would be welcome, just to break up the leonine monotony. I’m sure we could find a fitting location for a smelly, skulking scavenger.
Webner House 