Shishi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shishi (Chinese: 石獅子 or 石狮子; pinyin: shíshīzi; “stone lion”), also called Lion of Fo, Lion of Buddha, or Dog of Fo, is, in Chinese art, a stylized figure of a snarling lion. Its original significance was as a guardian presence in a Buddhist temple. Shishi are often created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub. They occur in many types of Chinese pottery and in Western imitations.

Shishi were imported into Japanese mythology; the boddhisatva Monju-bosatsu is commonly depicted riding one. Japanese legend portrays shishi as playful in temperament but protective in nature, and they are invoked as protectors of children. Though they are said to be protective of their cubs, a folktale claims that shishi throw each cub over a cliff to test its strength.