A PROVINCIAL ANCIENT ROMAN PERIOD TOMB GUARD IN THE FORM OF A SPHINX Carved from red sandstone 43cm long, 17cm high Provenance: The Simon Neal Collection Identified by Revd. Professor Martin Henig. This time worn and characterful figure most likely represents a Roman Sphinx from a tomb, carved in red sandstone. It was likely produced by a provincial workshop in an outpost of the empire, like the region of modern-day Spain, for example. The hair is plaited behind the head, a feature shared by other examples, such as the Arundel sphinxes, at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.