East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A large, mold-made, ceramic "fu dog" shown here in a playful crouch. This item was made to grace the roof of a Ming dwelling - imagine seeing it perched atop the corner of a sloping, tiled roof, gazing down at passerby! The body is colored uniformly with a very deep forest green glaze that was poured thickly over most of the surface, with only the edges of the feet and underside of the body left buff. The face is fierce, the brow furrowed around the eyes, the mouth open to reveal two rows of sharp fangs. A curly mane sprouts from around the neck, with two rounded ears raised in total alertness. The body appears modeled off a real dog, with nice musculature, but some fanciful details - the curls of fur on the tops of the paws and the back of the legs, for example. The magical tail is raised, forming a point rising above multiple curls of fur. Size: 13.5" L x 8" W x 11.75" H (34.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 29.8 cm)

According to Chinese tradition, roofs are understood to be locii of communication between the living and the spiritual realms. As a consequence, they decorated them to ward off evil and act as a magnet for good fortune and blessings. The animal known in the west as the "fu dog" is actually a guardian lion, a common architectural protective figure in Imperial China that was originally brought from Indian culture alongside Buddhism. They are usually presented in pairs, representing the male and female, yin and yang. Symbolically, the male protects the outside and the female protects the inside of the dwelling.

Provenance: ex private Ventura County, California, USA collection

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#129117

Intact, with nice craquelure and preserved details. Slight wear to glaze and small areas of encrustation.