Vintage Shiwan Pomegranate Red Foo Dog

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The glazed ceramic foo dog is portrayed crouching, with one paw resting and one on a ball. The back legs … Read more The glazed ceramic foo dog is portrayed crouching, with one paw resting and one on a ball. The back legs are relaxed and its tail is up. It is a very realistic pose. The face with its open mouth showing upper and lower teeth and exaggerated fangs on the sides is very expressive. The protruding eyes seem to be looking at you. There are three swirls above each eye and more on the tail. The swirls are a reference to the snail curls found on Buddha's head. The pomegranate or oxblood red is a signature glaze of the Shiwan, the pottery center of China in Foshan, located near the capital city of Guangzhou (Canton.) The geographic location near a river, materials found in local areas and the abundance of fuel made this an ideal place for pottery. Although the products from the ceramic industry include commonplace things such as tile and cookware, it is the artistic sculptures that are endearing to collectors.

Chinese art by tradition is formal and serious. Occasionally one might find something whimsical and the subject matter most likely would be the foo dog. The foo dog or lion dog is Buddha's guardian. They usually in come in pairs. Through the centuries, the foo dogs have taken on many forms. It was in the late Qing Dynasty when the Pekingese became the Dowager Empress's favorite canine, the foo dog evolved into looking more like dogs than lions. This Foo Dog was made by an individual artist in limited quantities. His seal is pressed on the inside. It is a seal with four characters. The two on the right are words for Shiwan. The second two characters represent the artist's name but cannot be identified. Although foo dogs in pomegranate or oxblood red glaze are still in production, it will be difficult to date this one. The Shiwan potters never fail to bring whimsy to their artist works. This Foo Dog is supposed to be serious, since they are guard dogs, but it is simply charming. See less