Gorgeous pair of vintage Chinese guardian or imperial lions or, as more commonly known in the West, foo dogs. In Chinese they are simply called "Shi", which means "lion". Depicted as a male and female finished in a glazed bright turquoise color. Each dog is mounted on a Stand, one holding a ball and the other a foo cub.

H 12.5 in. x W 5 in. x D 3 in.

H 31.75 cm x W 12.7 cm x D 7.62 cm

Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and were believed to have mythic protective powers. They are also used in other artistic contexts, for example on door-knockers, and in ceramics. Pairs of foo dog statues are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels and elsewhere.