Lion playing with a ball

Carved in reddish-purple amber, this lion exhibits the great skill of Qing sculpting and engraving artisans. The animal smiles as it rests its left paw on a ball. Its ears form relief spirals that expand widely. The rounded eyes glance upward, as if responding to the person who just threw the ball. The highly rounded raised backbone ends in a leaf-shaped tail. The mane, back, legs, and tail are neatly carved with a series of varied incisions.

Amber has been known in China since early times. According to Han texts, it was produced in Sichuan, Yunnan, and the north of Burma. Recently, it has also been found in Liaoning and Henan provinces (Luan Bing'ao 1989, 89). Early amber artifacts were small three-dimensional figures in large size proportions, beautifully executed, from the Tang period. Although lions entered China sometime before the Han period, theybegan to be used widely in art only in the Tang period, when exotic culture was much appreciated. The lion was thought to have many virtues—it was hungry but not gluttonous, brave, and faithful—and it was regarded as the king of the animal world. Legend had it that a person to whom the lion threw a ball would be happily dancing and jumping forever. The lion playing with a ball appeared on Song textiles and ceramics. It was popular during the Qing period for small carved figures.