Pair of Hand-Carved Chinese Stone Foo Dogs (Shishi Guardian Lions) 20th C ~4"H Haribako and long life—three blessings central

and long life—three blessings central to Japanese folk belief and performance

Motif: Natural abstraction – the radiating central halo and speckled rim resemble a solar corona

Artist: Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉)Title: Maegami and a Girl (Kuruwa no Ingo — 廓の隠語)Date of original design: ca

This tsuba shows considerable wear from lots of use

Pair of Hand-Carved Chinese Stone Foo Dogs (Shishi Guardian Lions) 20th C ~4"H Haribako and long life—three blessings centralPair of Hand Carved Chinese Stone Foo Dogs (Shishi Guardian Lions), Early 20th Century China, mid 20th century Height: approximately 4 inches each A finely carved and expressive pair of Chinese guardian lions, commonly known as Foo Dogs ( shishi), sculpted from richly variegated smoky gray green stone with natural amber and cream veining. Each figure is rendered in a seated position, exuding a bold yet playful character with wide grinning mouths,