Chinese Pair of Polychrome Stoneware Foo Dogs
Foo dogs make a delightful and colorful addition to a home’s decor. These glazed stoneware polychrome Foo dogs, and the base they sit upon, display colors of vivid dark green with golden brown and dark brown as well.
First originating in China, Foo Dogs have an interesting and colorful history. Foo dogs , typically depicted as a pair, are actually lions . The pair, one male one female, acted as sentinels or guardians of a household positioned outside a gate or entryway. The female represents “yin” and symbolically protected the people inside the dwelling. The male, or “yang” protected the structure itself. Finally, you can also tell the gender of each Foo dog. The female, being the nurturer, holds a puppy beneath her paw. The male holds a ball as if protecting the world.
18″High x 8″Wide x 10″Deep
Circa 1890