Antique Chinese Glazed Biscuit Porcelain Buddhistic Foo Lions.

They are made of porcelain painted with enamels applied directly on the ceramic cooked body. (bisquit) The lions are crouched on their hind legs on a high cubic base decorated with flying herons and floral motifs.

The male holds a carved sphere between his claws under his left paw, symbolizing the emperor's dominion on the terraqueous globe; the female holds a playful puppy supine below her, symbolizing nourishment.

The "Chinese Guardian Lions" or "Imperial Guardian Lions" are an architectural ornament typical of the Chinese tradition. Typically made of stone, they are also known as "Stone Lions" or "Shishi". In English they are also called "Dog Lions" or “Foo Dogs". It is a decorative style born in the environment of Chinese Buddhism with apotropaic intent: the lions, greatly stylized in the form often a male with a globe between the claws and the other female with a cub, had to protect the building of which they were placed in defense of both harmful spiritual influences and ill-intentioned people.