A CHINESE GILT WOOD SCULPTURE OF FOO DOGS. LATE MING DYNASTY. CHINA, 16-17TH CENTURY
Origin: China, late Ming dynasty.
Dimensions: height – 28 cm, width – 10 cm, depth – 10,5 cm.
Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions, often miscalled "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in imperial China. The lions are always presented in pairs, a manifestation of yin and yang, the female representing yin and the male yang.
Square sculpture depicting a pair of Imperial guarding lions, with a carved ball kept by one’s paw, on top of a wooden pedestal decorated with rosettes and Chinese decorative motifs, with oval holes in central section. Sculpture originally gilt, only remains of gold layer preserved.
Provenance: European private collection, acquired about 1980.