The Evolution of Lion Images: From Greece to Silla and Japan

2024-02-23

The lion, formerly known as the "Lion Lion" or "White Ze", is mainly found in Africa and was also found in ancient Asia such as India, Persia, Babylon, Assyria, and Asia Minor. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhang Qian went on an envoy to the Western Regions, which opened up communication between China and various countries in the Western Regions, allowing lions to enter China. In ancient times, lions were often used to express blessings for good luck or to ward off evil, and the homophonic sounds of "lion" were used to refer to words such as "shi", "shi", and "si". During the 4th to 5th centuries AD, lions were introduced to Silla with Buddhism. Many stone carved lion figures have been unearthed in Buddhist architecture and tombs in Silla, either standing, squatting, or lying down, with lifelike shapes and diverse images. These unearthed cultural relics show that the carving art of Silla has been influenced by different civilizations such as China, Persia, Greece, and India. Lions: The unique and exquisitely carved square tomb of Jiuzheng Cave is located on the north side of Foguoji Railway Station in Gyeongju City, South Korea. It is a unique square stone chamber tomb in the Silla region, dating from the 9th to the 10th century. The identity of the tomb owner is unknown. The tomb door on the south side is open, with a double stone door and a stone chamber inside; The lower part of the outer side of the tomb is carved with 12 deity protection stones. The corner originally had a "corner pillar stone" carved with statues of Hu people, warriors, and lions, standing at the four corners of a square tomb; The corner pillar stone originally standing on the right has now been moved to the National Qingzhou Museum. The lion corner pillar stone is 99 centimeters high and features a lion statue carved in low relief. The lion is lying upright on a corner pillar, with its head slightly raised and its mane slightly curled. Its limbs are extended and upright, and its tail is raised and curled up, with smooth lines and characteristics of Greek sculpture art. The Double Lion Stone Lantern at the Yeongju Hwangyan Temple site in South Korea was built in the late Goryeo period and is located in front of the Wuxue Master Pagoda in the early Joseon Dynasty of the Lee family. It is carved from a huge stone. The two lions squatted on the lotus platform with their chests connected, their hind limbs thick and powerful, their forelimbs combined with their heads, forming a semi upright shape. They lifted the square lotus seat with their heads raised, and their heads were carved with thick curled manes. Similar to the lion corner pillar stones in the square tomb of Jiuzheng Cave, they stand upright and squat down. Faju Temple is located in Bao'en County, Chungcheongbuk do, and has unearthed a unified Silla era double lion stone lantern, which is the fifth national treasure of South Korea. The stone lamp is 3.3 meters high, and the pillars of the building are two stone lions standing opposite each other. The lion steps on the lotus seat, looks up, and supports the lotus stone support with its head and upper limbs. The standing lion is quite strange. The Double Lion Stone Lantern at the National Gwangju Museum in South Korea (National Treasure No. 103) and the Lingyan Temple site are identical in both era and shape. It belongs to the same type as the lion corner pillar stone in the square tomb of Jiuzheng Cave. Squatting Lion: A lion patterned tile unearthed from the Jinzhang Wayao site in Qingzhou, with various forms and uses. The inner side has a continuous bead pattern, while the inner side is decorated with a lion pattern. The outer side uses a Baoxiang Hua pattern with an eight leaf pattern. The lion sits cross legged with its front legs extended and its back legs bent. Through the large lion's mouth, one can see sharp teeth and a gorgeous mane on the head. The lion's broad chest and sturdy legs appear very powerful. The production period is speculated to be in the first half of the 8th century. The lion patterned round tile from the Unified Silla period is similar to the lion patterned tile unearthed from the Jinzhang Wayao site, except that the lion is densely surrounded by stamens and has two wings. The wings should be designed for the purpose of shaping an invincible god in Greece, using the lion as a divine beast and the wings of an eagle to stand on it

Edit:GuoGuo    Responsible editor:FangZhiYou

Source:gmw.cn

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