Limestone Carving of a Lion

Six Dynasties - early Tang dynasty, 6th - 7th century

The lion was not indigenous to China but was probably introduced through contact with its western regions. The lion is closely associated with India and Buddhism and its roar was the metaphor for the ‘voice of the Buddha instructing the beings of all the universes’. The power of this stone lion is evident in its tautly positioned body and fierce expression.