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Chinese Foo Fu Dog Breed
Imperial Guardian lions, also called Fu Dogs or Foo
Dogs, and called Shi (獅) in Chinese or Ra shi da, are powerful mythic
protectors that have traditionally stood in front of Chinese imperial palaces,
temples, emperors' tombs, government offices, and the homes of government
officials and the wealthy from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), until the end of
the empire in 1911. Imperial guardian lions are still common decorative and
symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, and other structures.
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Chinese Foo Fu Dog Breed
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<- A Qing pair within the Forbidden City. Note the dog-like
appearance of the face and different details in the decorative items,
compared to the Ming version.
The lions are traditionally
carved from 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 Imperial 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 Imperial 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 therefore no longer restricted to the elite. |
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Chinese Foo Fu Dog Breed
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The lions are generally present in pairs, with the male on the
right and the female on the left. The male lion has his right paw on a globe,
which represents his "feeling the pulse of the earth." The female is essentially
identical, but has a single cub under her left paw. Symbolically, the male fu
dog guards the structure, while the female protects those dwelling inside.
Sometimes the male has his mouth open and the female closed. This symbolizes the
enunciation of the sacred word "om." Other styles have both lions with a single
large pearl 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.
Interestingly, the lion is not indigenous to China. When Buddhist travelers
brought stories about lions to China, Chinese sculptors modeled statues of lions
after the travelers' descriptions--and after native dogs, since no one in China
had seen a lion with his or her own eyes. The mythic version of the animal was
originally introduced to Han China as the Buddhist protector of dharma.
Gradually they were transformed into guardians of the Imperial dharma, and some
Qing realizations of them came to look more like the dogs of Fo. (Compare the
Chow Chow, Pekingese, and Shi Tzu breeds.) These beasts have been found in art
as early as 208 BC. In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the ruling Manchu derived
their name from the Manjushri Buddha, who rides on a lion.
The beast is sometimes associated with feng shui or Buddhism. Fu means
'happiness' in Chinese. In China, they are known as Rui Shi (瑞獅).
There are various styles of imperial guardian lions reflecting influences from
different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles
vary in there artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the
lions from fierce to serene.
~From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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