Lot 67A
East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 19th century CE. A marvelous and quite massive wooden corbel in the form of a male fu lion shown with a serpentine body that curves upward as he turns his head to the left, opening his mouth to display a protruding tongue, all adorned with liberal remains of green, red, and gold pigments. Surrounded by openwork decoration of a scrolling ribbon and foliage, his front paws rest on a relief block displaying a vase of flowers, human figures draped in robes - perhaps intended as 2 of the Eight Immortals - and a mongoose amongst flowers. His open mouth indicates his sex; male fu lions have open mouths, while female have closed. Together, this symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om." Size: 19.2" L x 7" W x 36" H (48.8 cm x 17.8 cm x 91.4 cm)
Lions were introduced to Chinese courts as early as the Han dynasty; however, most artists relied on second-hand sources for descriptions, resulting in very stylized figures that were often mistaken as dogs by western viewers. These fu lions, also known as foo lions or foo dogs, are the highly stylized representations of a spiritual lion guardians that protected sacred buildings, tombs, or palaces against evil spirits or people. They are usually presented in pairs outside an entrance to protect those within, representing the male and female as well as yin. Symbolically, the male fu lion protects the outside, and the female protects the inside of the dwelling. When portrayed together the male usually plays with a ball and the female plays with a cub - here both the cub and ball are portrayed. This corbel, jutting prominently from the side of a building, would have been an impressive and auspicious marker to those who passed through the entrance.
Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired before 2000
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#186383
- Condition: Professionally repaired with break lines in areas, as well as fissures, nicks, and chips to wood. Missing flame on right elbow. Otherwise, nice presentation with great details and liberal remaining pigments. Please note that the red pigment contains about 3 to 4% mercury.
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