Chinese Temple Pillar with Man Riding Foo Lion

A bearded man, a tall hat, and a lion that has agreed to all of it.

This temple pillar with a man riding a foo lion is stone, from Hebei Province, China, 18th century. Guardian lions, often called foo lions in the West, have stood watch over Chinese gates and temples for many centuries. The rider sits high with a stern, bearded face, a tall ribbed cap and a flaring robe. Beneath him the lion crouches, curled mane around a wide grin. Below that, leafy carving gives way to a faceted shaft covered in close tool marks. The stone is pale, with a dark vein. Forty-eight and a half inches high.

The lion seems to have taken it in good humor.