Old chinese marble stone guardian lion. Oriental classical white stone lion with Chinese traditional style. Chinese guardian lions or imperial guardian lion. Chinese guardian lions or imperial guardian lion, traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi, and often called Foo Dogs in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese imperial palaces, imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han Dynasty, and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. They are also used in other artistic contexts, for example on door-knockers, and in pottery.
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