The Guennol Lioness

Looking at the face of the lioness, it should be clear that this carving was the result of close observation and that five thousand years ago, close observation of a big cat meant either victory or death.
~George Rodart

The Guennol Lioness, an Elamite figure believed to have been created circa 3000–2800 B.C., ...is thought to have been created at approximately the same time as the first known use of the wheel, the development of cuneiform writing, and the emergence of the first cities. [Wikipedia]