Artifact No.43 - Japanese Kutani Porcelain Shishi Guardian Lions/Dogs (might be haunted)

On a recent trip to a thrift store, Sheryl stumbled across this pair of Fu or Foo Dogs and knew they had to come home with her. Painted green, the pair look like two tiny dragons holding golden swords in their mouths, and each is standing on a red floral ball. There is red velvet glued to their feet, and from what we can find online, the velvet was likely glued into place by the original seller. 

Using Google image search, we discovered that they were likely made in the 1970s and are green & gold moriage. The style is the Japanese style of Foo Dog, although the Foo Dogs originated in China. In Japan, Foo Dogs are used as guardians at Shinto shrines and should always be kept in pairs. They are seen as powerful protectors of sacred spaces.

In this case, however, they may have brought an entity with them into our house, so we're not sure if they're actually working. On the same day we brought them home, Sheryl witnessed what looked like a shadow person walking from the kitchen into the dining room when only she, our dog Freddy, and the Foo dogs were on the main floor. So that's fun!

We cannot confirm that the shadow person came from the Foo Dogs, because there are so many creepy things in our house, but we don't think it's a coincidence that the person was spotted on the main floor on the same day we brought them into the house.

We are selling them as a pair. They are both approximately 5 inches tall and 7 inches wide. They are in great shape, although there are a few small chips in the porcelain. Please note that our items are sold in an "as is" state. Vintage items are purchased and sold in the condition we find them.

If you want your very own (possibly haunted) Foo Dogs, this pair might be the right item for you!