The cultural meaning of stone lions has never been unified. One view is that lions are auspicious animals and can drive away evil spirits. The book "A Brief Introduction to the Situation in Beijing" says: "The stone is also real, and the lion thinks it is. It is hard to say that it is not easy for seniors to start a business. "
As a kind of architectural decoration, stone lions are often used in palaces, temples, yamen (ancient government agencies) and at the gates of senior officials, nobles and wealthy businessmen. In modern times, stone lions are usually placed in front of some shops.
Shishi is a lion carved from stone, which is often used as an ornament in traditional buildings in China. It can be seen in palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, mansions, gardens, tombs and buttons in China. But more often, "Shishi" refers to a pair of lions placed on the left and right sides of the gate. In the long historical years, these stone lions accompanied by vicissitudes witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and became an indispensable ornament in the ancient buildings of China. But there were no wild lions in ancient China, so when and where did these stone lion carving arts originate? How did you come to China and become a part of China art?
The hometown of lions is in Africa, India, South America and other places. However, the image of the lion has long been known to our ancestors: there is a three-dimensional image of the lion in the exquisite painted prints of Zhou bronzes collected in the Song and Qing Dynasties. It is said that lions come from the western regions. According to legend, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, lions were given as gifts to the emperor of China. With the introduction of Buddhism into China, the lion revered by Buddhism has become a noble and majestic spirit beast in people's minds. China soon learned the carving art of stone lions from India, and the phenomenon of displaying tombs appeared. For example, the stone lion in front of Gaoyi Tomb in Ya 'an County, Sichuan Province is the oldest stone lion in China and a relic of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Therefore, lions appear more as mythical animals in China, and together with Kirin, they become the spirit beasts of China. Hui Lin, a monk in the Tang Dynasty, said, "Sister-in-law is a lion, and she went out of the Western Regions."
In the Tang Dynasty, the stone lion carving art reached its peak. Because of the vivid creative method, the stone lion is exactly like China. The master sculptor in China carved the stone lion magnificently and vividly: his head was curled, his mouth was open, his neck was upturned, his claws were powerful and his expression was domineering. ...
After the Ming Dynasty, the stone lion carving art was not only higher than that of the Tang Dynasty, but also more widely used in people's lives. Palaces, mansions, mausoleums and even ordinary citizens' houses are guarded by stone lions; Stone lions are carved on the lintel eaves and stone railings as decoration. For example, the world-famous Lugou Bridge, with 140 stigma on both sides, is carved with exquisite and lively stone lions. Various postures, rich expressions, different sizes and vivid sculptures. By the Qing Dynasty, the sculpture of lions was basically shaped. "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record" stipulates: "The lion is divided into parts, face, body, legs, teeth, crotch, embroidered belt, bell, thread, rolling embroidered beads and chisel young." Stone lions generally take Mount Sumi as the base, and there is a brocade shop on the base. Lions have different shapes. They are beautified in China. Their basic form is full of curly hair, magnificent. The shape of the lion has different characteristics in different dynasties: in the Han and Tang dynasties, it was usually magnificent and powerful; In the Yuan Dynasty, the body was slender and powerful; Ming and Qing dynasties were relatively docile.
There are rules for the placement of the stone lions. Generally speaking, they are male and female in pairs, and they are generally left male and right female, which conforms to China's traditional philosophy of Yin and Yang. The lion placed on the left side of the door is generally carved into the right front paw to play with hydrangea or there is a hydrangea between the two front paws; The lioness on the right side of the door is carved into the left front paw to touch the cub or the cub is located between the two front paws.
Decorative lion: an auspicious beast, the king of beasts, brave and invincible. It can not only ward off evil spirits, but also bring good luck, dispel all kinds of evil spirits and enhance the official prestige or the master's yang. If the window sees adverse effects, you can put a pair of stone lions in front of your mouth to turn evil spirits into life power. All industries that make a living by mouth, such as lawyers and artists, can put on a prestige in the office, which helps to make money. However, the placement of lions is exquisite and cannot be placed at will. Put lions of different qualities in different positions.
1, the lion should be placed in the northwest.
This is because the lion was introduced to China from the western regions, so the northwest is its most active place, occupying a geographical position; Second, because lions are divinatory symbols and live in the northwest, the five elements belong to gold, so lions (especially bronze lions or golden lions) can play their best role in the northwest. At the same time, the west is also suitable for placing lions.
Lions should be in pairs.
It is suggested that a lion be paired with a female lion and a male lion. And it should be divided into men and women, and the left and right cannot be reversed. When placed, the lions can't go wrong as long as they take care of each other. If one of them is broken, you should immediately put on a brand-new pair of lions, and don't leave the other one in its place.
3. The lion's head must be outside.
The lion is fierce, and its Sha Qi is heavy. The feng shui layout is to prevent evil spirits from entering the house, so the lion's head should be outside. If placed in a window, the lion's head must also face out of the window.