Chinese Censer with Foo Lion Top

A foo lion sits on the lid, mouth open, one paw raised as if about to make a point.

This censer with foo lion top comes from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, dating to the 19th century, in porcelain. Guardian lions are traditional protectors in Chinese art, and lion-topped incense burners have long allowed smoke to curl out through the beast's open mouth. The bowl stands on three short legs with animal-mask tops and a wide flat rim. Its domed lid carries the seated lion, curly-maned and grinning, with a ring of unglazed buff clay around the lid's edge. A soft pale celadon-white glaze covers the rest. It is 6.75 inches high and 5.5 in diameter.

A guardian with a great deal to say, and smoke to say it with.