Chinese Male Guardian Lion with Forepaw on Brocaded World

A lion with a lattice ball under one paw, a bell at his chest and a snarl that is mostly for show.

This male guardian lion with forepaw on brocaded world is from China, is contemporary, and is carved in boxwood. In Chinese tradition, pairs of guardian lions are generally set at gates and doorways, with the male commonly shown resting a paw on a ball, often read as a symbol of power over the world. The mane is a mass of tight curls around an open-mouthed face. A collar with a dragon-faced pendant and a small bell sits at the chest. The ball is pierced with a coin-like pattern. It is 4 inches wide, 2.5 deep and 4 high.

Ferocious in theory, and extremely well-groomed in practice.