Chinese Vessel or Planter with Lion Motif

Granite-flecked and round, with a lion doing the heavy lifting underneath.

Chinese stone carvers made this vessel or planter with a lion motif in marble in the 19th or 20th century. Stone vessels were commonly used as planters or water basins in courtyards and scholar’s spaces, and lions are a traditional guardian motif. A rounded bowl with a thick rim sits above a pedestal carved with curling, scroll-like forms. The stone is a speckled cream with grey and tan flecks and a rough, aged surface.

About 8 inches tall and 9 wide. Small but with a good deal of stone sense.