Chinese Standing Figure of a Foo Lion

Blue-grey guardian with a square head and marks scratched down its front.

This standing carved stone figure of a foo lion is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 18th century. Lions are not native to China, so their image there developed from Buddhist art and was shaped by local ideas, and they are usually shown in male and female pairs. Dense, bluish carved block shaped like a sitting beast with a flat top, blocky face and simple ears. Faint incised lines form a patterned panel on the chest. Edges are worn and chipped, and the surface is mottled. It is 4 inches wide, 6 deep and 10.5 high.

Short on detail, long on stubborn presence.