*China 1900 Qing Dynasty pair of seals with Foo Dogs sculpted in brownish ochre stone
Carved Foo Dogs sculptures from the China, Qing Dynasty.
A pair of Chinese Foo Dogs stones sculptures, from the period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), made circa 1900.
They was very finely three-dimensional carved from a single piece of greenish-brownish stone, probably soapstone, depicting the standing figures of the mythological Foo Dog, looking forward. The surface and the bottom parts are carved with Chinese characters, exhibiting great details, especially evident in the mane, the teeth, the claws and hairs.
They are pretty large and each piece have a measures of 76 mm by 51 mm by 172 mm (3 x 2 x 6,75 Inches).
Foo Dog or Pho Dog, is a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone or jade, these decorations are also known as stone lions or "Shishi". Foo Dogs that are placed inside or outside a building are meant to protect your home or workplace from negative energy.
Since the introduction of this mythical lion symbolism from the Indian culture, specially through Buddhist symbolism, statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese imperial palaces, imperial tombs, government offices, temples and the home of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han dynasty (206 bc-220 ad), and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits.
The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing, was the Manchu-led last dynasty in the imperial history of China. It was proclaimed in 1636 in Manchuria (modern-day Northeast China), in 1644 entered Beijing, extended its rule to cover all of China proper, and then extended the empire into Central Asia. The dynasty lasted until 1912. In orthodox Chinese historiography, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The multiethnic Qing empire lasted for almost three centuries and assembled the territorial base for modern China. It was the largest Chinese dynasty and in 1790 the fourth largest empire in world history in terms of territorial size. With a population of 432 million in 1912, it was the world's most populous country at the time.
Qing Dynasty decorative arts, many craftsmen worked in the imperial court, producing artifacts for palace use: everything from items of jewelry art to beautiful Chinese lacquerware, including lacquered imperial thrones: see, for instance, the Qing Dynasty Imperial Throne (1775-80, Victoria and Albert Museum, London). The Imperial Household Department managed a number of crafts workshops both within the Forbidden City and outside it. Some of the skilled workers and master craftsmen were on permanent duty, like those in the imperial glass factory established in 1696 under the direction of the German Jesuit Kilian Stumpf (1655-1720). Other experts in gemstones carving, horn and jade sculpture and metallurgy were summoned to Beijing for a specific period of service.
Provenance: A private collection in New York city collected in the 1964; T.K. Asian antiquities gallery, Williamsburg Virginia; a private collection in Palm Beach FL; then purchased by James & Nancy Markell, Virginia 1976; then by descent to Lauren Markland, Fort Lauderdale, FL.; acquired in Palm Beach, FL. in March 7, 2021
It is in great condition, with no cracks, broken or missing parts. Can be used also as a book ends.
INVENTORY REF: D0000ANNH/.1111
