Buddhist Lion-Dog

Exquisitely carved from bamboo root, this small scholar's object represents a bushy-maned Buddhist lion-dog (shi zi) with two cubs and a pierced ball. The ball symbolizes the Buddhist jewel of truth that the lion dog protects. The theme is likely taken from fine-line paintings of Buddhist divinities, which often included fantastic beasts such as these. In style and technique, this sculpture is closest to the work of Shi Qiji also called da sheng. He was a second generation member of a well-known family of bamboo carvers in Jiading, Jiangsu province, the great bamboo carving center that produced a majority of the finest carvers.