Pair of cast iron guardian lions, China, 16th - 18th century

Pair of cast iron guardian lions
China
16th - 18th century
Height 20.5 cm

A pair of shishi, the female with a boy under her left paw, the right with an "embroidered ball" under her right, pose on barrel-shaped garden stools with floral-filled panels. Dark iron patina, the female somewhat rust scarred.
The originally Buddhist guardian lions, in China due to a lack of suitable models in their representation more like dogs, have in the course of time almost completely replaced the other spirit-defending guardian animals of Chinese mythology, such as the Bixie, and spread to almost all of East and Southeast Asia, as well as Tibet and Nepal.
The present pair, with their richly curled manes, is reminiscent of the large stone specimens that stood guard in front of the houses of high-ranking personalities and is executed in fine iron casting, as was also used for Buddhist altar figures in the Ming Dynasty.