Lioness with Cub
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
#63-21-2
Gift of Slada Tea Co.
China (Beijing?) Cloisonne 17th century Ming (1368 AD- 1644 AD) or Ch'ing Dynasty (1644 AD - 1912 AD)
The lion, not indigenous to China, was introduced with Buddhism. It served as a protector of Buddhist law. The male lion is represented with a ball ubder paw - associated with chu, the pearl of supremacy and symbol of sovereign authority. The female is represented with a cub under paw.