A PUDDINGSTONE CARVING OF A LION Tang DynastyA PUDDINGSTONE CARVING OF A LIONTang DynastyThe powerfully carved figure shown seated on its haunches with forelegs outstretched, the head facing forward with a fierce expression conveyed by bulging eyes and mouth open in a roar showing the teeth and up-curled tongue, the ears flattened back above the curling mane. 15cm (5 7/8in) high.唐 抱子石雕坐獅像Provenance: Roger Keverne Ltd., LondonA British private collection, acquired from the above on 7 March 2006來源：伦敦古董商 Roger Keverne Ltd.英國家族收藏，在2006年3月7日從上處購得Introduced into China from Central Asia as symbols of religious power, probably following the introduction of Buddhism during the Han dynasty, lions became significant protective emblems within elite architecture. The Buddha Shakyamuni was seen as a new-born child pointing to Heaven with one hand and to Earth with the other, 'roaring like a lion' and Buddhists regarded lions as divine creatures of nobleness and protectors of the Truth.Compare with a similar puddingstone model of a seated lion, Tang dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by L.Roberts, Treasures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1979, no.28. Another puddingstone lion, Tang dynasty, formerly in the George Eumorfopoulos Collection in the British Museum, is illustrated by L.Ashton, An Introduction to the Study of Chinese Sculpture, London, 1924, pl.50.A related puddingstone model of a lion, Tang dynasty, was sold at Bonhams London, 8 November 2018, lot 20.public_sentiment_keywords: Stone lionis_parse: 20230413image: yuzhan_bonhams_item/51930651.jpgsold_price_type: £