In the palaces of Assyrian kings, monumental stone reliefs portrayed lion hunts as visual proclamations of power. More than narrative scenes, they were propaganda and theology: the king appeared as conqueror of chaos and guardian of cosmic order. Lions embodied destructive forces, and their defeat confirmed the ruler’s divine mandate. Among the finest examples are the reliefs from Ashurbanipal’s palace at Nineveh, where the hunt unfolds as a ritual spectacle of authority, violence, and destiny. This piece recalls the linear precision, shallow carving, and rhythmic friezes of Assyrian relief sculpture. The insertion of Pepe within this solemn iconography produces a witty anachronism, a playful intrusion that unsettles the grand narrative of domination and order