Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Lions of foo, come and guard this temple,
Lions of foo, come and keep me in peace.
Make sure no harm is done to me,
Make sure no harm is done to my family.
Give me long life with your powers.
Bring rain for long hours
To you I pray so alive I stay.
To the lions of foo I pray.
A Qing pair from the Forbidden City?
Note the dog-like appearance of the face and different details in the decorative items,
compared to a Ming version.
Foo dog statues vary in size and material. Their eyes are usually wide open with a little dot in the middle. Their mouths are wide open. Their faces have a devilish look, maybe to scare evil demons or spirits or people away. Foo dogs are created in many types of material and are often imitated in the West.
Foo dogs or Lions of Fo are sacred temple dogs of Asia. Their original significance was that of a guardian presence in Buddhist temples. The Lions of Foo are often in pairs, the male playing with a ball symbolizing the Earth and the female holding a cub. These dogs were also popular as sacrifices to the shamanistic gods in praying for rain. Also it was believed that dog meat eaten during certain periods of the lunar year gave added health, virility and longevity.
Guardian lions, also called Fu Dogs or Foo Dogs
Guardian lions, also called Fu Dogs or Foo Dogs, and called Shi in Chinese or Ra shi da, are powerful mythic protectors that have traditionally stood in front of Chinese imperial palaces, emperors' tombs and government offices. Since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), imperial guardian lions were placed at the entrances to important official buildings and gates, until the end of the empire in 1911. They are still common, popularized as decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, and other structures.
The lions are generally present in pairs. To the intruder's right will be the male lion, with his right paw on a globe, representing his "feeling the pulse of the earth". To the intruder's left will be the female, essentially identical in appearance, but playing with her single cub with her left paw. The male of the pair is said to guard the structure, while the female fu dog protects those dwelling inside.
The lion is not indigenous to China. The mythic version of the animal was originally introduced to Han China as the Buddhist protector of dharma. Gradually they were transformed into guardians of the Imperial dharma and some Qing realizations of them came to look more like the dogs of Fo. (Compare the Pekingese breed.) These beasts have been found in art as early as 208 BC. In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the ruling Manchu derived their name from the Manjushri Buddha, who rides on a lion.
The beast is sometimes associated with feng shui or Buddhism. Fu means 'happiness' in Chinese. In China, they are known as Rui Shi.
Emperor Guan, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Unidentified Artist (ca. 1700)
China
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk; 68 1/8 x 36 7/16 in. (173 x 42.6
cm)
Purchase, The B. Y. Lam Fund and Friends of Asian Art Gifts, in honor of Douglas
Dillon, 2001 (2001.442)
Does the face of the Emperor's guard reveal the approximate date of origin for the magnificent set of Lions (Foo Dogs) pictured above?
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