VERY LARGE RARE PAIR ANTIQUE DECORATIVE CHINESE WOODEN GUARDIAN FOO LIONS. They were inside the front entrance protected from the elements. However they may at one time sat outside under a roof extended overhang which would explain their tarnished appearance, from moisture and change in seasons and age etc. The paint is original and worn. However it appears only the backs of the bases may have been touched up at one time. Over all size including the attached base, Height 48 inches, Width 20 inches, Depth 28 inches. They each weigh approx. The Approx size of Foo Lions by them self in perspective to the base is. Height 33 inches, Width 19 inches, Depth 27 inches. Their condition is very good. Some minor paint loss, Minor surface cracks And minimal paint restoration on back of bases only. Due to nature of wood and age , NO broken pieces or repairs. There are No maker marks, not unusual. There are some variations in color and appearance due to the lighting when photographing. We put wheels on the bottom of the base to move them around with out damaging them.’THESE ARE NOT NEW REPRODUTIONS’. Or Imperial guardian lion , traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi. Literally “lion”, and often called “Foo Dogs” in the West, are a common representation of the. Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of. Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the. (206 BC-AD 220), and were believed to have powerful. They are also used in other artistic contexts, for example on door-knockers, and in pottery. Pairs of guardian lion statues are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance, in China and in other places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and settled, especially in local. The lions are usually depicted in pairs. When used as statuary, the pair would consist of a male resting his paw upon an embroidered ball (in imperial contexts, representing supremacy over the world) and a female restraining a playful cub that is on its back (representing nurture). The lions are traditionally carved from wood, As well as decorative stone, such as marble and granite or cast in bronze or iron. Because of the high cost of these materials and the labor required to produce them, private use of guardian lions was traditionally reserved for wealthy or elite families. Indeed, a traditional symbol of a family’s wealth or social status was the placement of guardian lions in front of the family home. However, in modern times less expensive lions, mass-produced in concrete and resin, have become available and their use is therefore no longer restricted to the elite. The lions are always presented in pairs, a manifestation of. The female representing yin and the male yang. The male lion has its right front paw on an embroidered ball called a. , which is sometimes carved with a geometric pattern known in the West as the. The female is essentially identical, but has a cub under the closer (left) paw to the male, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female fu lion protects those dwelling inside, while the male guards the structure. Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word “om”. However, Japanese adaptions state that the male is inhaling, representing life, whiles the female exhales, representing death. Other styles have both lions with a single large. In each of their partially opened mouths. The pearl is carved so that it can roll about in the lion’s mouth but sized just large enough so that it can never be removed. Correct placement of the lions is important to ensure their beneficial effect. When looking out of a building through the entrance to be guarded, looking in the same direction as the lions, the male is placed on the left and the female on the right. So when looking at the entrance from outside the building, facing the lions, the male lion with the ball is on the right and the female with the cub is on the left. Version of the Lion was originally introduced to Han China as the protector of. And these lions have been found in religious art as early as 208 BC. Gradually they were incorporated as guardians of the Chinese Imperial dharm. Lions seemed appropriately regal beasts to guard the emperor’s gates and have been used as such since. There are various styles of guardian lions reflecting influences from different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles vary in their artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the lions from fierce to serene. Although the form of the Chinese guardian lion was quite varied during its early history in China, the appearance, pose, and accessories of the lions eventually became standardized and formalized during the Ming and Qing dynasties into more or less its present form. NEIL WORLD RENOWNED OPTOMETRIST: THIS IS HIS BIOGRAPHY AND LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO HIS PROFESSION, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PHILANTHROPY. Was his grand daughter; I spent a great deal of time with my grand parents and had a loving supportive relationship. My grand father always had a lot to talk about, his practice, patients his love for boating the arts and world politics I lived with my grandparents for 5 years at their home in. While attending Einstein hospital and. For pediatric nurse practitioner were I earned my degree. My grandfather was very knowledgeable and influential in developing my interest in medical field and art, antiques. He was a patron of the arts. My grandfather was and art collector both American and European art and antiques this was his passion He spent a lot of time working and traveling in. He also received gifts from friends and dignitaries. My grandfather was Dr John C. My grandfather was a professor emeritus, lecturer practitioner, and author. He was a world traveler and an inventor; and president of the Pa, college of optometry here in. Which his grand father was cofounder and board member through out his years. He opened the first free eye clinic in Phila. My grandfather invented several mechanical devices for the eyes. He was one of 3 doctors Dr. Wilhelm Sohnges of Munich, West Germany and Dr. Frank Dickinson from St Annes-Sea, England who collaborated developing and inventing the micro lens for corneal implants known today as contact lens. He also worked with Dr. And helped pioneer the Development of telescopic spectacles and bifocal binocular. The item “FOO LION’S QING DYNASTY PERIOD LARGE 48 TALL PAIR YIN AND YANG 19 C” is in sale since Tuesday, April 2, 2019. This item is in the category “Antiques\Asian Antiques\China\Figurines & Statues”. The seller is “bejoufinearts4u” and is located in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Animal Type: FOO LIONS
• Chinese Dynasty: Qing (1644-1911)
• Primary Material: Wood
• Age: late 19th c. circa 1900
• Theme: Gaurdian Foo Lions
• Type: Sculptures
• Height: 48 inches
• Region of Origin: China
• Features: Handcarved, Hand painted
• Color: Multi-Color
• Maker: Chinese