竹雕佛獅戲球香爐

Bamboo lion groups carved in the round are known such as those illustrated by L. Tam (Ed.), Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, Hong Kong, 1978, pp. 342-351, nos. 104-108. The present group, however, appears to be unique in its ingenious use of the beast's belly as a receptacle forming the censer, and thereby allowing smoke to emerge through the brocade ball and its agaped mouth.