Chinese Perfume Bottle with Foo Lion Motif

Lying flat with a grumpy face, this lion has a tail like a feather duster.

This crystal perfume bottle with a Foo lion motif is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. The Foo lion is a Chinese guardian figure, usually shown in pairs at doorways, and it is often copied on small objects as a protective sign. Glossy and dark gray-brown, a reclining beast thrusts its head forward, with deep-set eyes and a wrinkled brow. Carved ribs of mane run along the back, and a fan of incised tail feathers rises at the right. It is 2 inches wide, 1.25 deep and 1.5 high.

Fierce on the outside and mostly for show.