Hand-Carved Stone Chinese Guardian Lion

The guardian lion, known in Chinese as shi or shishi, has stood at the entrances of temples, palaces, and important buildings in China for over two thousand years, its role as a protective spirit giving it a symbolic weight that decorative reproductions carry into the domestic setting, and this hand-carved stone example, with its warm orange-brown and dark contrasting tones, has the individuality that only hand-carving can produce.

Hand-carved from stone in the 20th century, this guardian lion features warm orange-brown and dark contrasting tones, with carved facial detail, a curled body form, and a plinth-style base. The hand-carving process means that no two examples are identical, and the slight variations in the carved surface, the distribution of the colour tones, and the character of the facial expression give this piece a specificity that cast or moulded reproductions cannot achieve. The guardian lion is one of the most enduring symbols in Chinese decorative arts, and hand-carved stone examples of this quality are collected both for their decorative character and their symbolic significance.

• Material: Hand-carved stone
• Dimensions: 10 cm (H) x 7 cm (W)
• Condition: Good, minor age-appropriate wear visible
• Features: Warm orange-brown and dark contrasting tones, carved facial detail, curled form, plinth-style base
• Period: 20th century
• SKU: CBD-0116

A hand-carved stone guardian lion with individual character. Pairs naturally with the Gold-Lacquered Polyresin Guardian Lion (CBD-0117), the Red Lacquered Pair (CBD-0118), and the wider Oriental collection.