Chinese Hand Carved Foo Lion

In frame, a fierce little lion-dog bares its teeth, mane in full curl.

This hand carved foo lion is from China, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is boxwood. Boxwood is a dense, fine grained wood that Chinese carvers have long favored for small figures, since it takes sharp detail and polishes smoothly. Photographed straight, a compact carved beast seen from the front, with a wide-open mouth showing fangs and a curling mane around the face. A ridged chest runs down its front between planted forelegs with clawed toes. The warm reddish-brown finish is glossy. It is 2 inches wide, 3 deep and 3.5 high.

Ferocious in outline and entirely adorable in scale.