An exquisite and impressive pair of first half 20th century Italian ceramic lion figures of massive scale modeled after the 'Medici' lions originally at Villa Medici in Rome, and since 1789 at Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, having white glazed bodies with shredded clay manes and upswept tails with shredded clay tassels, hand-painted eyes, noses, claws, and open mouths showing tongues and canines, with right front paws resting on a ball sitting on oval 'Attic' moulded plinth bases having blue sponge painted tops and blue brush painted section borders.  An identical pair to these lions were in the collection of Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti at Yester House, East Lothian, Scotland.