fierce faces at the threshold
Where they can be found
Guardian lions are common sights in protected or sacred spaces and in public and private structures. They may be made of stone, bronze, or iron, and the size may vary depending hon the structure the lions are guarding. Sometimes called "foo lions' or 'foo dogs,' they are styled differently depending on their origin but always appear in pairs. Here at the Hilton, pairs of these animals guard spaces on the walkway, bridges, and doorways out on the grounds.
Guardian lions are common sights in protected or sacred spaces and in public and private structures. They may be made of stone, bronze, or iron, and the size may vary depending hon the structure the lions are guarding. Sometimes called "foo lions' or 'foo dogs,' they are styled differently depending on their origin but always appear in pairs. Here at the Hilton, pairs of these animals guard spaces on the walkway, bridges, and doorways out on the grounds.
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Materials:Stone, iron, or bronze.
Date or Period:Varies, but most here are 20th century.
Origin: Asia, Southeast Asia
Meaning: Used to guard or protect sacred spaces
READ THE STORY, BELOW
guardian lions of asia
A guardian should be powerful enough to repel danger—but familiar enough to recognize. Across Asia, artists solved that problem by imagining the lion again and again.
Lions became symbols of royalty, strength, courage, and sacred protection. At Khmer temples, for example, stone lions guarded approaches, stairways, and terraces, protecting the sacred precinct through both royal and divine authority. Burmese chinthe similarly stood in pairs at the entrances of pagodas and monasteries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art document these related guardian traditions.
But these sculptures were never simply realistic portraits of animals. Each culture reshaped the lion according to its own artistic language.
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the lions that changed as they traveled
BURMESE STYLE OF GUARDIAN LION
"CHINTHE"
THAI or Siamese STYLE OF GUARDIAN LION
"SINGHA"
CHINESE STYLE OF GUARDIAN LION
"SHISHI"
The lions are always presented in pairs, a manifestation of yin and yang, the female representing yin and the male yang. The male lion has his right front paw on a type of cloth ball simply called an "embroidered ball" (繡球; xiù qiú), which is sometimes carved with a geometric pattern. The female is essentially identical, but has a cub under the left paw, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female lion protects those dwelling inside (the living soul within), while the male guards the structure (the external material elements). Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male has his open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om."
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tablet tours
On the tablet: Compare the Balinese, Burmese, and Thai forms—and learn how the lion traveled across Asia without ever looking quite the same twice.See Guardian lions as they protect temples, palaces, and other locations in Asia.
Guardian Lions Appear on These Tablet Tours Walkway Highlights Tour
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Male Shishi (Chinese-style guardian lion
Female Shishi (Chinese-style guardian lion
These Thai or Siamese-style guardian lions or "Singha" are beside a flute-player. This is how the Hindu god Vishnu sometimes appeared to people and the lions are nearby to provide protection.
Look Closer
keiki connection
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Stories Etched in Gold: Burmese Kalaga textile tapestriesTap or click on image to go.
