Page 29 - For the Love of Porcelain

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Pair of architectu-
ral lions, Shiwan kilns,
Foshan (Guandong),
Qing dynasty,
mid-19th century,
h. 78 cm, inv. no.
XLVIII:IX:A.a.a.01

3 known for its Chinese archaeological and decorative figurines as ornaments in 5-6
Architectural lion, fine art collections, and for its scholarly work Western homes. They were never used like Pair of lion incense stick
Shiwan kilns, on Chinese archaeology, art and philology. this in China, but instead served practical holders, Jingdezhen
Foshan (Guandong), The cessation of hostilities at the end of the purposes. In the early Bronze Age real (Jiangxi), Kangxi
Qing dynasty, Russian–Japanese war in Manchuria in 1905 animals plus human servants, entertainers period, h. 18.5 cm,
mid-19th century, opened up transport routes across the Steppes and guards were entombed with the wealthy, 19.5 cm, inv. nos.
h. 41 cm, via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Chinese and to accompany their masters into the afterlife. XLVIII:XI: C.g.a.01 and
inv. no. XLVIII:VII: Western dealers encouraged the excavation From the third century BCE ceramic figures C.g.a.02
B.e.b.01 of artefacts, and set up shops in Beijing were substituted as grave goods, and the
and Shanghai. Many sent consignments of custom continued down to the Qing
artefacts via rail. For example, the London dynasty. Figurines were also used in temples
firm Sparks had a shop in Shanghai in the and shrines as architectural elements on roofs
2
1920s, while the London firm Bluetts was and walls. The splendid pair of lions in fig. 1
supplied with goods by intermediaries in are architectural ceramics, made of stoneware
China between 1918 and 1935. 3 These and glazed with colourful lead glazes. They
new acquisitions were mainly archaeological came from a Buddhist temple, and were
materials, however. It is likely that many of originally used as stands for figurines of the
the Buddhist lions in Bukowski’s premises Bodhisattva Manjusri (known in China as
came from old European collections. Wenshu), whose name means ‘Gentle Glory’
in Sanskrit. This Bodhisattva is associated
The contents of her collection make it clear with wisdom, and when represented riding
that the Countess was fond of figurines, both on a lion, symbolises the power of wisdom
human and animal. Since the seventeenth over the mind, which is analogous to
century, it has been customary to display pacifying a ferocious beast. It is possible

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