Imperial antique porcelain guardian foo dog lion, with tail as a ruyi, Ming dynasty, China

拍品描述

Considering style, colors and condition of the glaze, this guardian lion came possibly from Imperial Chinese palace of Ming dynasty. His long, bushy tail has been shaped as a ruyi. Bulging eyes and oversized ears give him a whimsical, almost comical look. A single, slight horn protrudes from the top of his head. Height: 25.5 cm = 10 inches Length: 20 cm = 8 inches Depth: 11.5 cm = 4.5 inches Chinese guardian lions, or imperial guardian lions, are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi (石獅 shíshī). They are known in colloquial English as lion dogs or foo dogs / fu dogs. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, features a pair of highly stylized Asiatic lions—often one male with a ball which represents the material elements and one female with a cub which represents the element of spirit— that were thought to protect the building from harmful spiritual influences and harmful people that might be a threat. Used in imperial Chinese palaces and tombs, the lions subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including Japan (see komainu), Korea, the Philippines, Tibet, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia.

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