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Lot Essay
Ferocious Protector – A Song Dynasty Polychrome Wooden Lion
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant
This fierce and powerful lion has been carved in an unusual and impressive pose. Rather than adopting the heraldic sejant seated or statant standing poses in which most Chinese lion figures appear from the Tang dynasty onwards, this lion is in a much more ferocious attitude – crouching with strongly-muscled forelegs out to the side - as if it were about to attack. This is in keeping with the traditional Chinese role of the lion as a protector. As in the West, the lion in China was regarded as the king of the beasts, and was a symbol of protection, harmony, blessings and high rank. It is also no coincidence that the word for lion shi 獅could serve as a pun for two high ranks in ancient China. One of these was the rank of taishi 太師– the highest military rank in the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1050-771 BC), and the lion remained a military symbol. While in the Warring States period (c. 480-221 BC) the Chu kingdom established the position of shaoshi 少師 tutor to the prince, a rank for which the word for lion could also provide a rebus.
In their role as protectors, figures of lions were often placed at the entrances to noble residences or official buildings, as well as temples, and on occasions they appear on either side of thrones. They were usually placed in pairs with the male on the left, female on the right. As early as the Eastern Han dynasty figures of lions were also amongst the real and mythical animals which flanked the shendao 神道 spirit way, which led to the tombs of members of the imperial family and high officials. With the establishment of Buddhism in China, lions also took on a role in Buddhist iconography for their ability to expel evil and protect the Buddhist Law, appearing either on either side of an incense burner at the feet of the main Buddhist figure, or on either side of the lotus pedestal. Two seated lions appear, one each side of an incense burner, below the figure of a meditating bodhisattva on an Eastern Wei alabaster stele dated by inscription to AD 544 in the Metropolitan Museum New York, illustrated in National Museum of History (ed.), Chinese Buddhist Sculpture from the Wei through the T’ang Dynasties, Taipei, 1983, pp. 116-17, no. 11. Two lions also appear – one on either side of the lotus on which Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) stands in a Sui dynasty limestone group in which Avalokitesvara is flanked by Ananda and Kasyapa, dated by inscription to AD 583 in the Metropolitan Museum New York, illustrated in National Museum of History (ed.), Chinese Buddhist Sculpture from the Wei through the T’ang Dynasties, op. cit., pp. 142-43, no. 19. A single limestone lion from the Norther Qi dynasty (AD 550-577), also in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum New York (accession number 30.66.2), which was included in the museum’s exhibition Arts of Ancient China in 2005, shows an earlier version of the crouching stance seen in the current lion, although the Northern Qi example lacks the impression of imminent movement that is so striking in the current Song dynasty creature.
Lions are not native to China, but in ancient times were known in India, Persia, Babylonia, Assyria and Anatolia. In China lions were known from travellers’ tales and from the presentation of lions as tribute to the Chinese emperors. The earliest record of such tribute dates to the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), when a pair of lions were among the gifts of tribute presented to the Han court from the Parthian Empire (247 BC-AD 224 in modern day Iran and Iraq). In the Tang dynasty, Emperor Taizong (AD 598-649) received a gift of a lion from Samarkand in AD 635. The Tocharians (an Indo-European people known from manuscripts dating from the 6th to the 8th century AD, found in oasis cities in what is now part of Xinjiang, on the northern rim of the Tarim Basin) sent lions to the Tang court on no less than three occasions in the 7th and 8th centuries. Interestingly, in AD 719 the gift of lions from the Tocharians was made on behalf of Rome. Tang dynasty poetry, such as the fu composed by Yu Shinan on the orders of the emperor when the tribute lion was received in AD 635, always emphasised the ferocious power of the lion, which was believed to be even more powerful than the tiger. The lion was often seen as having supernatural powers akin to those of the dragon, and being associated with the West, as the dragon was with the East.
The current figure of a lion and a companion figure representing a type of dragon were sold by the Parisian firm of Jacques Barrère in 1995. The companion figure had a similar stance to that of the lion, although its head was raised and turned to one side. The very distinctive muscular modelling of the two figures strongly suggests that they were a pair, which would have guarded an important structure or throne. When the companion figure was exhibited in July 1995 (see C.K. Chen Oriental Art 1995 Annual Exhibition, Taipei, no. 97), it was suggested that it represented a chi wen 螭吻, the second son of the dragon. According to the 3rd century Guangya 廣雅 by Zhang Yi, the dragon had nine sons, who all took different forms. Another son of the dragon was believed to resemble a lion and was called a suan ni 狻猊, and it is sometimes suggested that it is this creature who is represented in Buddhist iconography. Despite the fact that the suan ni is usually associated with a seated position, it is possible that these two ferocious wooden figures were originally intended to represent two sons of the dragon, further enhancing their powers of protection.
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant
This fierce and powerful lion has been carved in an unusual and impressive pose. Rather than adopting the heraldic sejant seated or statant standing poses in which most Chinese lion figures appear from the Tang dynasty onwards, this lion is in a much more ferocious attitude – crouching with strongly-muscled forelegs out to the side - as if it were about to attack. This is in keeping with the traditional Chinese role of the lion as a protector. As in the West, the lion in China was regarded as the king of the beasts, and was a symbol of protection, harmony, blessings and high rank. It is also no coincidence that the word for lion shi 獅could serve as a pun for two high ranks in ancient China. One of these was the rank of taishi 太師– the highest military rank in the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1050-771 BC), and the lion remained a military symbol. While in the Warring States period (c. 480-221 BC) the Chu kingdom established the position of shaoshi 少師 tutor to the prince, a rank for which the word for lion could also provide a rebus.
In their role as protectors, figures of lions were often placed at the entrances to noble residences or official buildings, as well as temples, and on occasions they appear on either side of thrones. They were usually placed in pairs with the male on the left, female on the right. As early as the Eastern Han dynasty figures of lions were also amongst the real and mythical animals which flanked the shendao 神道 spirit way, which led to the tombs of members of the imperial family and high officials. With the establishment of Buddhism in China, lions also took on a role in Buddhist iconography for their ability to expel evil and protect the Buddhist Law, appearing either on either side of an incense burner at the feet of the main Buddhist figure, or on either side of the lotus pedestal. Two seated lions appear, one each side of an incense burner, below the figure of a meditating bodhisattva on an Eastern Wei alabaster stele dated by inscription to AD 544 in the Metropolitan Museum New York, illustrated in National Museum of History (ed.), Chinese Buddhist Sculpture from the Wei through the T’ang Dynasties, Taipei, 1983, pp. 116-17, no. 11. Two lions also appear – one on either side of the lotus on which Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) stands in a Sui dynasty limestone group in which Avalokitesvara is flanked by Ananda and Kasyapa, dated by inscription to AD 583 in the Metropolitan Museum New York, illustrated in National Museum of History (ed.), Chinese Buddhist Sculpture from the Wei through the T’ang Dynasties, op. cit., pp. 142-43, no. 19. A single limestone lion from the Norther Qi dynasty (AD 550-577), also in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum New York (accession number 30.66.2), which was included in the museum’s exhibition Arts of Ancient China in 2005, shows an earlier version of the crouching stance seen in the current lion, although the Northern Qi example lacks the impression of imminent movement that is so striking in the current Song dynasty creature.
Lions are not native to China, but in ancient times were known in India, Persia, Babylonia, Assyria and Anatolia. In China lions were known from travellers’ tales and from the presentation of lions as tribute to the Chinese emperors. The earliest record of such tribute dates to the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), when a pair of lions were among the gifts of tribute presented to the Han court from the Parthian Empire (247 BC-AD 224 in modern day Iran and Iraq). In the Tang dynasty, Emperor Taizong (AD 598-649) received a gift of a lion from Samarkand in AD 635. The Tocharians (an Indo-European people known from manuscripts dating from the 6th to the 8th century AD, found in oasis cities in what is now part of Xinjiang, on the northern rim of the Tarim Basin) sent lions to the Tang court on no less than three occasions in the 7th and 8th centuries. Interestingly, in AD 719 the gift of lions from the Tocharians was made on behalf of Rome. Tang dynasty poetry, such as the fu composed by Yu Shinan on the orders of the emperor when the tribute lion was received in AD 635, always emphasised the ferocious power of the lion, which was believed to be even more powerful than the tiger. The lion was often seen as having supernatural powers akin to those of the dragon, and being associated with the West, as the dragon was with the East.
The current figure of a lion and a companion figure representing a type of dragon were sold by the Parisian firm of Jacques Barrère in 1995. The companion figure had a similar stance to that of the lion, although its head was raised and turned to one side. The very distinctive muscular modelling of the two figures strongly suggests that they were a pair, which would have guarded an important structure or throne. When the companion figure was exhibited in July 1995 (see C.K. Chen Oriental Art 1995 Annual Exhibition, Taipei, no. 97), it was suggested that it represented a chi wen 螭吻, the second son of the dragon. According to the 3rd century Guangya 廣雅 by Zhang Yi, the dragon had nine sons, who all took different forms. Another son of the dragon was believed to resemble a lion and was called a suan ni 狻猊, and it is sometimes suggested that it is this creature who is represented in Buddhist iconography. Despite the fact that the suan ni is usually associated with a seated position, it is possible that these two ferocious wooden figures were originally intended to represent two sons of the dragon, further enhancing their powers of protection.