Shishi Lion

          Chinese guardian lions, known as Shishi which literally translates to "stone lion" it is also often incorrectly called "foo dogs".  Traditionally the Shishi Lion stands in front of Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, temples, and houses of the wealthy. It was often a sign of upper class citizens. These lions are always created in pairs, with the male with a open mouth resting his right paw upon the world sometimes having a geometric pattern. The female lion has a semi closed mouth restraining under its left paw a playful cub that is on its back. The pair keeps with the yin and yang principal China holds so dear. The Shishi Lions were originally believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. The look of the Shishi lion changed drastically during its transportation along the silkroad.  What I found really interesting was the Komainu or the Korean Dog was based off of the Chinese guardian statue. Eventually it spread to Japan where it became Kitsune a fox statue, which is offered to Inari shrines by worshippers, as part of the Buddhist culture. The reason I picked the Shishi Lions for my scene was because it was something that was distinct and allowed artistic license to it.