Chinese Standing Figure of a Foo Lion

Stout little beast with a flat face and a ladder down its chest.

This standing carved stone figure of a foo lion is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 18th century. Guardian lions, often called foo lions or Buddhist lions in the West, have stood at the entrances of Chinese temples, tombs and official buildings for many centuries. Rough, pale grey block carved into a squat crouching animal with rounded ears, a blunt snout and broad shoulders. A grid of ridges runs down the front. The surface is pitted and chalky all over. It is 4.5 inches wide, 7 deep and 10.5 high.

Grumpy, solid and impossible to move with a stare.