Vintage Japanese Carved Wood Foo Dog Pair Shishi Guardian Lions 10"H

This is an antique pair of wooden statues of Chinese Foo Dog made in Japan. Chinese guardian lions, or imperial guardian lions, are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi (石獅 shíshī). They are known in colloquial English as lion dogs or foo dogs / fu dogs. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, features a pair of highly stylized lions—often one male with a ball and one female with a cub—which were thought to protect the building from harmful spiritual influences and harmful people that might be a threat. Used in imperial Chinese palaces and tombs, the lions subsequently spread to other parts of Asia.

The sculptures stand 10" high by 7 " wide by 10" long. They weigh 8 pounds 5 ounces together. Having been carefully displayed and in storage for much of the past 40 years, they remain in very good condition.