The Guardian Lions

Male

Female

This pair of fearsome beasts stands watch at the entrance of a bank in our neighborhood. They're designed in the Southeast Asian style, with a sort of fantastical, mask-like face. The placement of stone lions in front of a building is borrowed from China, and is an ancient practice.

You can find these stone lions, although they might be cast in metal, in any community that has had Chinese influence. I've seen them guarding the steps of buildings in New York and San Francisco, but never knew anything about them until I studied in Taiwan. There I was told that the presence of certain animals, as well as their locations on a property, have an auspicious significance. At the front doors of a financial building or place of commerce, the stone lions are set to protect the building and the occupants.

Guardian lions are usually a mated pair and are portrayed in traditional gender roles. The male rests a paw on a ball, a symbol for his physical prowess, strength, and aggressive nature. The female tussles with a lion cub underfoot, and this represents her as a creator, nurturer, and provider. The male guards the building, while the female protects the people inside.

For these two lions, the mouths are open. Between each of their jaws, a pearl was carved in such a way that it can roll about freely in the mouth without falling out. However, you might stumble upon a pair of stone lions in which one has a closed mouth. Together, these represent the two shapes the mouth makes when chanting the sacred Buddhist Aum.

These two lions are a little different than I expected. The female here is on the right, and usually it's the male. I think I'll keep an eye out the next few months and see whether the arrangement is a Vietnamese convention, or whether these two are an anomaly.