Early 20th Century Chinese Gilt Buddhist Guardian Lion on Lotus Base

Details

Description

A richly modeled Chinese Buddhist guardian lion, or shishi, seated on a tiered lotus-form pedestal and finished in warm gilt … Read more A richly modeled Chinese Buddhist guardian lion, or shishi, seated on a tiered lotus-form pedestal and finished in warm gilt over a traditional red ground. The compact sculpture is unusually substantial for its scale, weighing approximately 4.2 pounds.

The lion is depicted with an open mouth, tightly curled mane, broad paws, elaborate collar ornaments, and a knotted ribbon or textile motif extending across the back. These details draw from the longstanding Chinese Buddhist lion tradition, where guardian lions served as protective symbols and appeared in temple, devotional, and decorative contexts.

The surface construction is particularly appealing. Natural wear to the gilding reveals a deep red preparatory layer beneath, with a soft white chalk-like composition or gesso visible at small areas of loss. This layered finish gives the piece considerable depth and warmth and suggests the gold surface was part of the intended original decorative scheme rather than a later repaint.

Probably cast in a dense plaster or composition material and hand finished. The sculptural vocabulary is derived from much earlier Chinese Buddhist examples; based on construction, surface and style, we believe this example dates to the first half of the 20th century.
A characterful decorative object with considerably more presence and refinement than the more commonly encountered later plaster “foo dog” figures.

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