The criosphinx merges two potent symbolic registers: the lion as solar protector and the ram as emblem of Amun, king of the gods. Amun was frequently depicted with the head of a ram bearing curled horns, particularly in his syncretised form Amun-Ra. The ram was associated with fertility, virility, and creative power - attributes that complemented the lion's protective solar role. By combining these animals, the criosphinx embodied Amun's multifaceted nature as both creator and defender.

The Karnak criosphinxes were primarily the work of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty, c. 1386-1353 BCE), who inaugurated many of the processional ways at Thebes, though Ramesses II later added his own cartouches to statues along the avenue. Each criosphinx wears the curled horns of Amun with a nemes headcloth and the body of a recumbent lion. The pharaoh's image, placed between the paws, explicitly identified the king with Amun's protection and authority.

Beyond Karnak, criosphinxes marked other processional routes in the Theban region, including approaches to the Temple of Mut. These creatures were not merely decorative: they defined sacred space, transforming ordinary roads into ceremonial corridors through which divine barques moved during festivals. The criosphinx, as a boundary marker and divine guardian, ensured that the spaces it protected were ritually potent and shielded from chaos.