<em>Large Figure of a Lion Dog</em>, 1662–1722. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 17 13/16 × 10 1/2 × 25 in., 42 lb. (45.2 × 26.7 × 63.5 cm, 19.05kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.542. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.542_view2.jpg)

Large Figure of a Lion Dog, 1662–1722. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 17 13/16 × 10 1/2 × 25 in., 42 lb. (45.2 × 26.7 × 63.5 cm, 19.05kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.542. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.542_view2.jpg)

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Where was the incense burned on this lion?

The incense would have been placed inside the lion. Cloisonne vessels are hollow on the inside, as the colored enamel is fused to a metal shell.

Elaborate cloisonne incense burners were made and used during the Qing dynasty. A number, including this one, were created for Buddhist temples or shrines.

Oh yes. I see the opened panel underneath. Thanks.

What was this used for and how was it made?

This is one of a pair of lions and it was used as an incense burner in a Buddhist context. It was made in the Kangxi period of Qing Dynasty China.

It's made in the cloisonne technique, which is an ancient metalwork technique that makes use of small, precious metal wires and colorful glass enamels to create brilliant works of art. The metal wires are bent into shapes to create small cells, that kinda create pockets in between the designs, and many coats of finely ground glass enamel are fired into them, eventually producing a coherent whole.

How do these two differ?

The ceramic lion-dog was made in 18th-19th century Japan and the cloisonné lion-dog was made in 17th-18th century China. They both show the same mythical creature in different media by artists of different regions and periods, both modeled off of an interpretation of a lion by people who had likely never seen a real lion before. This imagery was important to Buddhism.

They are made in very different materials and for quite different purposes. The Japanese ceramic is purely decorative and the Chinese cloisonné is an incense burner. The Chinese cloisonné incense burner was originally part of a pair that would have flanked the doorway in a Buddhist temple. There is an opening in the bottom for the incense, and the smoke would have come out through the mouth of the animal.

Why do depictions of lions in East Asian cultures have such round faces and manes that are close to the head, as opposed to the more ferocious depictions with scraggly manes in the West?

Great question! Partially it comes down to what different cultures wanted to convey iconographically. In Buddhist tradition, a pair of lions guards the entrance to the Buddhist religious space. Lions like this one are beyond-animals. They have fantastical elements that heighten their role as protectors, and are an iconic symbol of Buddha.

What is this?

This is an image of a Chinese-style lion or lion-dog. Guardian lions like this do not look entirely like their real life counterparts. Fantastic elements like a flaming tail make them seem more supernatural, and beyond-animal! He could hold incense in his belly and the smoke would come out through his mouth!

Why do Chinese guardian lions look more like pug dogs than the quintessential lion?

Great observation! This is a classic symptom of a lion designed by someone who had never seen a lion before. The artist only knew "lion" from a description and to them, it sounded kind of like a dog. This creature is also supposed to be unreal and mythical.

The importance of the lion as a symbol came to China with the influx of Buddhism.

Aha, that makes sense. Thanks!

¿Qué es esto?

Este es una figura de un "león perro". Es uno de un par que haría guardia en un templo budista. ¡Es un incensario también! Cuando colocas el incienso dentro del cuerpo, el humo escapa por la boca.

Can you please tell me more about the flames around the mouths of animals on the Qing Dynasty pieces?

I'm seeing that the flames around the mouth, along with the ones on other parts of his body like the tail, reference the creature's supernatural powers.

Wow cool, thank you so much!

You may notice that the animal depicted isn’t particularly realistic. It is a mythical creature that is a combination of dog, lion, and magical elements, like those flames. The importance of the lion in China came from India with Buddhism, but they were also very mysterious. By the time this object was made, there wouldn’t have been any lions in China, and the artist had probably never seen one.

You just blew my mind! That makes so much sense, because I feel like a lot of animals depicted in ancient art across the world looked weird.

This is true of lions especially! Lions lived in a lot of territory in ancient times, so they became important to a lot of different cultures. By the Medieval period, many of these lions were extinct or their territory had shrunk, so people could only draw them based on what they heard!

Wow!

It's really fascinating! You can find a Japanese interpretation of the Chinese-style lion in ceramic in our collection as well.

Thank you so much!

Why do I always see ancient lions depicted like this?

This just isn’t what lions look like.

Well, this lion is actually a kind of mythical creature that is a combination of a lion and a dog. It comes from China where lions were never native; the artist likely never saw a lion before.

The importance of lions as a symbol in China came in with Buddhism from India. Even there, the interest in lions as a symbol of kingship may have been partially adopted from Persia.

Cool! Thanks!

Is the Figure of a Lion restored?

While it was certainly cleaned and likely subjected to a conservation evaluation, the materials and finish are indeed original!

It was actually used as an incense burner. When lit, the smoke would escape from the lion's mouth.

Awesome! Thanks.

In the Qing dynasty, were some of the guardian statues model after chow dogs?

Are you looking at the cloisonné lion-dog statue? One of the reasons for this is that lions are not native to China, but the use of a lion as a symbol came to the region through Buddhism, so artists weren't quite sure how to get them right.

Is there a reason why most statues of this kind look cross eyed?

Yes! Crossed eyes were associated with wildness and intensity, so they help to make figures like this appear more fierce.

This can hold incense?

Yes! The lit incense would be placed inside the body and the smoke would escape from the mouth!

That's really cool.

It is! Flames actually run up the tail, around the side, and around the mouth of the figure, so it would have been an impressive sight!

Large Figure of a Lion Dog

Asian Art

This guardian lion would likely have been one of a pair placed on either side of a doorway or altar in a Buddhist setting and was used as an incense burner. Flames on the tail, running up his sides, and around his mouth all serve to underscore the magical quality of the beast.

MEDIUM Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy

Place Made: China

DATES 1662–1722

DYNASTY Qing Dynasty

PERIOD Kangxi Period

DIMENSIONS 17 13/16 × 10 1/2 × 25 in., 42 lb. (45.2 × 26.7 × 63.5 cm, 19.05kg) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 09.542

CREDIT LINE Gift of Samuel P. Avery

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Large Figure of a Lion Dog, 1662–1722. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 17 13/16 × 10 1/2 × 25 in., 42 lb. (45.2 × 26.7 × 63.5 cm, 19.05kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.542. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.542_view2.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 09.542_view2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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