Imperial Gaurdian Lion (Foo Dog) Tattoo

Here are the results of session one "the chest" This will be a full sweep of my chest covering up the Taurus on the left. The chest has thus far been the most painful but yet tolorable

All my work is done by Don Lussier at Art Freek Tattoo in Providence, RI.

www.mikelussier.com or www.myspace.com/artfreektattoo or www.artfreektattoo.com

All of the artist there are great. Don, Mike, Steve & Brian.

I chose a Foo Dog which is also know as an Imperial Guardian Lion or lion of Buddha.


The following is an excerpt from wikipedia:

An imperial guardian lion, also called a Fu Lion, Foo Dog, lion of Buddha, or sometimes stone lion (Pinyin: Shíshī) in Chinese art[1], is a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China, which is believed to have powerful mythic protective powers that has traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, temples, emperors' tombs, government offices, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), until the end of the empire in 1911. In Tibet, the guardian lion is known as a Snow Lion and similar to Japanese shishi. Imperial guardian lions are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, and other structures. In Myanmar they are called Chinthe and gave their name to the World War II Chindit soldiers.

The lions are traditionally carved from decorative stone, such as marble and granite or cast in bronze or iron. Because of the high cost of these materials and the labor required to produce them, private use of Imperial guardian lions was traditionally reserved for wealthy or elite families. Indeed, a traditional symbol of a family's wealth or social status was the placement of Imperial guardian lions in front of the family home. However, in modern times less expensive lions, mass produced in concrete and resin, have become available and their use therefore no longer restricted to the elite.