Imperial guardian lion
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An imperial guardian lion, also called a Fu Lion, Foo Dog, lion of Buddha, or sometimes stone lion (Pinyin: Shíshī) in Chinese art[1], is a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China, which is believed to have powerful mythic protective powers that has traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, temples, emperors' tombs, government offices, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), until the end of the empire in 1911. In Tibet, the guardian lion is known as a Snow Lion and similar to Japanese shishi. Imperial guardian lions are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, and other structures. In Myanmar they are called Chinthe and gave their name to the World War II Chindit soldiers.
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[edit] Appearance
The lions are traditionally carved from decorative stone such as marble and granite or cast in bronze or iron. Because of the high cost of these materials and the labor required to produce them, private use of Imperial guardian lions was traditionally reserved for wealthy or elite families. Indeed, a traditional symbol of a family's wealth or social status was the placement of Imperial guardian lions in front of the family home. However, in modern times less expensive lions, mass produced in concrete and resin, have become available and their use therefore no longer restricted to the elite.
The lions are generally present in pairs, with the female on the left and the male on the right. The male lion has his right paw on a ball, which represents the "flower of life" The female is essentially identical, but has a single cub under her left paw, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female fu dog protects those dwelling inside, while the male guards the structure. Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om". However, Japanese adaptions 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, when facing the entrance the male lion dog with the globe should be placed on the right with the female on the left.
[edit] History
Interestingly, the lion is not indigenous to China. When Buddhist priests, or possibly traders, brought stories to China about stone dogs guarding the entry to Indian Buddhist temples, Chinese sculptors modeled statues after native dogs for use outside their temples. The mythic version of the animal, was known as the Dog of Fo, the word Fo 佛 being Chinese for Buddha. (Compare the Chow Chow, Pekingese, Shi Tzu, Shar-Pei, and Pug breeds.)
The Buddhist version of the dog was originally introduced to Han China as the protector of dharma and these dogs have been found in religious art as early as 208 BC. Gradually they were incorporated as guardians of the Chinese Imperial dharm. However, Chinese sensitivity metamorphosed the dog into a lion, since this seems more appropriate to the dignity of an emperor when he used the beasts to guard his gates
The mythic dog is sometimes associated with feng shui, and are often called Fu Dogs. Fu means 'happiness' in Chinese; however, the term "Fu Dog," and its variant Foo Dog, are not used in Chinese. Instead, they are known as Rui Shi (瑞獅) ("auspicious lions") or simply Shi ("lions").
There are various styles of imperial guardian lions reflecting influences from different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles vary in their artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the lions from fierce to serene.
Asiatic lions[2] found in nearby India are the ones depicted in the Chinese culture.
[edit] Image gallery
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 A sitting lion statue, celadon, 11th to 12th century, Song Dynasty. |
 A stone shi |
 Female guardian lion with her cub at the Summer Palace, Beijing- late Qing Dynasty, but in the Ming style |
 Male lion guard of the Ming Dynasty period at the Forbidden City |
 Cub Detail |
 Standing lion at the Ming Dynasty Tombs Sacred Walk |
.jpg/90px-Imperial_guardian_lion_-_Ngee_Ann_City_-_Singapore_(gabbe).jpg) Imperial guardian lion outside Ngee Ann City in Singapore |
In the above gallery, note that the standing lion (a northern style nian) is wearing ornaments similar to those seen at the top of the article but does not have the shin armor.
[edit] See also
- Culture of China
- Chinese dragon
- Door god
- Lion dance, another use of lion imagery in costume and motion.
- Shisa similar lion statues on the islands of Okinawa, Japan
- Nian to compare with a similar but horned (unicorn) mythical beast
- Pixiu to compare with a similar but winged mythical beast
- Haetae to compare with similar lion-like statues in Korea
- Koma-inu to compare its use in Japanese culture
- Chinese mythology
- Asiatic lions found in nearby India are the ones depicted in the Chinese culture.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. |
- World heritage immersive panorama In this immersive panorama from the Imperial Palace Museum, Beijing, your viewpoint will be near a large bronze lion, the female whose male counterpart's image is in the gallery above, at the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
- A commercial webpage with some pictures of Fu Dogs
- A webpage with pictures of a variety of Chinese stone lions.
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