Rare 19th Century Pair Chinese Porcelain Figures Of Buddhist Lions (foo/fu Dogs)

A PAIR OF RARE CHINESE BISCUIT PORCELAIN FIGURES OF BUDDHIST LIONS, IN KANGXI STYLE

STANDING ON RECTANGULAR PEDESTALS, COVERED WITH GREEN AND BROWN GLAZES

MEASUREMENTS: HEIGHT: 7.5 INCHES, WIDTH: 2.5 INCHES, DEPTH: 2 INCHES

THESE ARE NINETEENTH CENTURY COPIES OF SEVENTEENTH CENTURY KANGXI ORIGINALS, THE COLOURS ARE TYPICAL OF THIS EARLIER PERIOD

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EXCELLENT CONDITION

THE LIONS ARE ALWAYS PRESENTED IN PAIRS, A MANIFESTATION OF YIN AND YANG, THE FEMALE REPRESENTING YIN AND THE MALE YANG. THE MALE LION HAS ITS RIGHT FRONT PAW ON AN EMBROIDERED BALL CALLED A "XIU QIU" (??), WHICH IS SOMETIMES CARVED WITH A GEOMETRIC PATTERN KNOWN IN THE WEST AS THE "FLOWER OF LIFE", THE FEMALE IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL, BUT HAS A CUB UNDER THE CLOSER (LEFT) PAW TO THE MALE, REPRESENTING THE CYCLE OF LIFE. SYMBOLICALLY, THE FEMALE FU LION PROTECTS THOSE DWELLING INSIDE, WHILE THE MALE GUARDS THE STRUCTURE. SOMETIMES THE FEMALE HAS HER MOUTH CLOSED, AND THE MALE OPEN. THIS SYMBOLIZES THE ENUNCIATION OF THE SACRED WORD "OM". HOWEVER, JAPANESE ADAPTIONS STATE THAT THE MALE IS INHALING, REPRESENTING LIFE, WHILE THE FEMALE EXHALES, REPRESENTING DEATH.  ACCORDING TO FENG SHUI CORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE LIONS IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THEIR BENEFICIAL EFFECT. WHEN LOOKING OUT OF A BUILDING THROUGH THE ENTRANCE TO BE GUARDED, LOOKING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE LIONS, THE MALE IS PLACED ON THE LEFT AND THE FEMALE ON THE RIGHT. SO WHEN LOOKING AT THE ENTRANCE FROM OUTSIDE THE BUILDING, FACING THE LIONS, THE MALE LION WITH THE BALL IS ON THE RIGHT, AND THE FEMALE WITH THE CUB IS ON THE LEFT.

HAPPY BIDDING!

Rare 19th Century Pair Chinese Porcelain Figures Of Buddhist Lions (foo/fu Dogs)