Details

We are delighted to offer this stunning pair of Guardian Lions which have been skillfully hand-carved from four pieces of gorgeous granite. The detail is incredible right down to the carved rolling pearls inside each lion's mouth and a rolling ball within the ball on the male piece. We believe these were commissioned as a bespoke order and were hand-carved in China. They truly are a magnificent statement piece and rarely seen in this quality and size in the UK. Sold as a pair only. Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions, which are 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. The male lion has its right front paw on a type of cloth ball, which is sometimes carved with a geometric pattern (coincidentally, resembling the figure called “Flower of Life” in the New Age movement). The female is essentially identical, but has a cub under the closer (left) paw to the male, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female fu lion protects those dwelling inside (the living soul within ), while the male guards the structure ( the external material elements ). Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word “om”. However, Japanese adaptations state that the male is inhaling, representing life, while the female exhales, representing death. Other styles have both lions with a single large pearl in each of their partially opened mouths. The pearl is carved so that it can roll about in the lion’s mouth but sized just large enough so that it can never be removed.

According to feng shui, correct placement of the lions is important to ensure their beneficial effect. When looking out of a building through the entrance to be guarded, looking in the same direction as the lions, the male is placed on the left and the female on the right. So when looking at the entrance from outside the building, facing the lions, the male lion with the ball is on the right, and the female with the cub is on the left.

Information source: WikipediA – Chinese Guardian Lions