THE CHINESE LION (DOG)
Wei Dynasty
386-557 C.E., Marble
Chinese guard lions (Shishi) were believed to have
powerful protective abilities. During the Han Dynasty, they were traditionally
placed in front of palaces, government offices, temples, and homes of the
wealthy. This lion, carved in black marble with veins of white quartz, has its
front paw on a ball that is carved with the “Flower of Life,” a geometric
pattern which symbolizes fundamental forms of space and time.