Also called "
Foo Dogs,"
Dogs of Foo," or "Lions of
Corea," these are found in
Chinese art- usually statues- and are often placed at temple gates or at the front of houses. Stone Lions of Foo sometimes gaze
ferociously from the steps of
official buildings, meant to scare
demons from the premises. They are sacred to
Buddhism as
emblems of
wisdom and good fortune.
The Lions of Foo usually come in pairs, and a male Foo Dog is often depicted as holding a ball under one paw. A female would hold a small cub under her paw.
Lions of Foo can be seen more often these days in front of Chinese restaurants. I found a male Lion of Foo, blood-colored and angry-looking, at an antique store and it now sits on a glass stand in my livingroom. Many guests find the statue slightly eerie.