Fu Dog

Staffordshire

1760-65

The terms Fu dog, dog of Fo, and Chinese lion all refer to the fusion of the Indian lion and the Chinese dog that occurred as Buddhism swept through China during the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. Replicas of this dog-lion and his mate were placed at entrances to Chinese Buddhist temples as well as other buildings of importance. The male is seen playing with a ball, the female with a cub or cubs. The Chinese rendered the Fu dog in ceramics, metal, and other materials. Many were exported to the European continent during the eighteenth century, adapted by English potters, and turned into highly colorful and decorative items.