Posted 6 years ago
billretire…
(592 items)
These were one of my finds from the Flea Market today 7/29/2018, the Chinese Guardian Lions, or commonly called Foo Dogs, Bookends, the odd thing about these, is the Person holding on to them, and to the side of them. I've heard if you've never seen it, maybe you should get it, so I did! :^D These Bookends, or Figurines, seem to be made of cast metal, that's been coated with plaster, and then painted with an aged bronze patina color. A strong magnet is attracted to them, and specially to the top of the base, at the lions feet. I've seen the Guardian Lions, with Buddha riding on them, as stone carvings, or sculptures, but never someone standing, and holding on to the Lion's mane, that almost looks like a Shaman or Troll. These Bookends look the same, just opposite at first, but both are slightly different, one Lion has the mouth open, and tongue back, the other more closed and tongue forward, and one is slightly smaller, and the people are different, also, one is larger 8 1/2" with a moustache, the smaller 8 1/4" has a smile. The base on both are 2 7/8"w x 3 5/8"l x 2 1/4"h and at the widest the Bookends are 5" x 5".
At Temples, Palaces, Museums, or Homes of the wealthy, these Guardian Lions, have been used to guard and protect the entrances from Evil Spirits, always in pairs, and normally, a Male, and Female, for thousands of years.
Here's a link to Wikipedia, on Chinese Guardian Lions, that I'll post in comments also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions
Thank you for looking, any information on these bookends/figurines, or the Guardian Lions with a person with them, is much appreciated, and all comments are welcome! :^)
Here's the link to Wikipedia, Chinese Guardian Lions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions
Thank you for looking! :^)
Alright! bb2 you were here, and I thank you for that, and for the love too! :^)
These are great, I have never seen them portrayed with a figure beside them, I wonder what it means. Thank for posting Bill.
Love foo dogs Bill, and these are quite different with the soldier beside them. Nice post!
Thanks for your comment, and you're welcome Lisa(t o d), that's why I got them! :^D I searched every where, for stories of different cultures, but the only thing was Buddha riding the Lions, not of someone holding, or trying to control the Guardian Lions.
I thought that may be Soldiers Jenni, or some Religious Leaders, with the hats or helmets, that they wear, but couldn't find anything about that. Thanks for your thoughts, and I tried to get them with the post! :^D
Thank you all for stopping by for a look, and for the love that you gave,
Lisa, Jenni, Brian, Kevin, Thomas, Mary, and AdeleC, your time is appreciated, and the loves, are so nice! :^)
Bill, I even considered Japan as they also used the foo lions as folkloric figures in motifs on they decorative wares or as finials and called them shishi, but those figures did not look anymore Japanese than Chinese in any kind of uniform of any age...?.
Thanks Lisa, yes I feel that I've traveled the World in search of information on these! :^D I hope someone will know something! Maybe I need to just search for the maker, or the way it was made, cast, coated, and painted. I don't like doing it but maybe remove the felt on the bottom? :^)
Pickaboo, nice to see you! :^D Thanks for the love! :^)
Hi aura, thank you for the love! :^)
Thanks for the love you gave, mikelv85, Windwalker, and Rich, it's always nice to get! :^)
I found some information, from India Folklore, that may have something to do with the look of the Guardian Lion, with a person holding on to it:
Statue of young ‘Sala’ fighting a lion: Name ‘Hoysala’ comes from this act of bravery of the founder.
I'll post a link to a photograph in a little while! :^)
This is the closest to these Bookends that I could find, but it maybe from some other Countries Folklore:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1107&bih=556&ei=QoJ0W5uZL5C6tgXKgofoDw&q=Statue+of+young+%E2%80%98Sala%E2%80%99+fighting+a+lion%3A+Name+%E2%80%98Hoysala%E2%80%99&oq=Statue+of+young+%E2%80%98Sala%E2%80%99+fighting+a+lion%3A+Name+%E2%80%98Hoysala%E2%80%99&gs_l=img.12...3966.3966.0.5941.1.1.0.0.0.0.96.96.1.1.0....0...1.2.64.img..0.0.0....0.85oMo3RurQ0#imgrc=U6Pl1la14pkDWM:
Thanks for looking! Any comments are welcome! :^)
Thanks for looking, and loving what you saw, Pete, Vynil33rpm, and mattress_cop, always nice to get! :^)
Hey Pickaboo, thanks for checking back, and giving more love too! :^)
I have these exact bookends, also. I have no idea how old they are, because I grew up with them on the mantle. There's a strong chance they were purchased in San Francisco (Chinatown) in the '70s. I hope this helps!