Qasr mosaic leopard and VMS Leo/August image

[Sam G]

I recently had an email conversation with a curator at the Getty museum. When I asked her if she knew any parallels for the VM feline, she replied that some of its stylistic properties reminded her of an item in the collection. It is a mosaic of a griffin, "which is said to be from Syria, dated to the 5th or 6th century AD."

Now, that's what I call a helpful and productive use of expert opinion.  Nice!

Check out the tongue on that thing - a perfect match for the VMS Leo.  Clearly my idea that the sharp tongue represents a later, medieval influence is going to have to be scrapped.