A Pair of Chinese Sancai Style Glazed Ceramic Guardian Lion Figures

A pair of lead-glazed ceramic guardian lion figurines, commonly known as Foo Dogs. These figures are traditionally modelled as a matching pair, with one figure depicted with an open mouth and the other with a closed mouth. Both are shown in a seated posture with stylized, swirling manes and upright flame-like tails. The decoration consists of a polychrome Sancai style lead glaze featuring splashes of emerald green, amber yellow, and cobalt blue over a pale cream-coloured ground. The glazes have pooled in the recessed areas of the moulding to highlight the texture of the manes and fur. The undersides of the figurines are unglazed, revealing a white ceramic body with a large circular firing hole in each base. A faint handwritten mark in white script, beginning with what appears to be a capital F, is present on the reverse of the right-hand figure.

Height: approximately 11.5cm.