The Guardian Lions at Jones Bridge

In one of my trips to Divisoria I took pictures of these big beautiful Chinese lion statues that stood guard at the Lawton end of Jones Bridge in Manila and I decided to make a digital artwork out of it and sell prints.

In China they are called Shishi (imperial guardian lions) and are often called Fu dogs in the West. Fu is the pinyin word for buddha or prosperity. They were probably thought of as dogs because they look more like  Chow Chow dogs with the proportions and fluffy tails.

Anyways, pairs of fu dog statues are traditionally placed in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, temples, and homes of government officials.  Back then, only wealthy families can afford to have stone carved fu dogs at their gates - and the bigger the statues the richer they must be. But today, with materials like concrete and cast stone, big fu dog statues are no longer just for the elite.

Fu dog statues are like the Eastern version of gargoyles. They are believed to ward off demons and evil spirits.

A pair of 11" x 14" prints with 20" x 23" frames

for PhP 3,000. Click on photo to enlarge.

A pair of 30" x 40" stretched canvas prints for PhP 8,600.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Inquire here. ^_^