posted on August 19, 2005 07:40:48 PM new
Caroline (especially -- but also any one else who may have some input), you seem to have lots of experience with Oriental porcelain, so perhaps you can help with this pair of china Foo Dogs.
Markings are numerals on one paw, remnants of a paper tag on the the other (PP or FP something?). About 6" tall and 8" long, bluish white glaze, no crazing, old felt pads on feet.
From estate, no other info. I'm thinking they're Japanese? Sometime 1930s? Taking to a show and no clue how to price them. Great looking pair with marvelous detail!
posted on August 20, 2005 05:21:25 AM new
I love them! Great pair and foo dogs sell well. They look like they are early 20th Century as you mentioned, probably c.1920's - they are Blanc de Chine - which is means they have a white glaze.
But there are blanc de chine collectors and foo dog collectors - and these will definitely appeal to both.
Here's a pair that are on Trocadero, which usually has a good selection of oriental porcelain which I use to help me price sometimes. I think she has her pair priced well, perhaps a little low at $160:
http://www.trocadero.com/Dragonwoman/items/430265/item430265.html
I studied oriental porcelain with one of the top appraisers in the country who has written several books on the subject. I recall her mentioning that Blanc de Chine is one the few opportunities available to buy something reasonably priced that will go up in value - this was back in 1999/2000. I think its popularity is increasing.
They are not as well detailed as the pair in the link above - but still very attractive. I'd price them on Ebay at $100-$175.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on August 20, 2005 06:16:08 AM new
Thanks Caroline -- that's exactly the kind of info I was hoping for! Really appreciate your time and effort here.
I had found the one on eBay, but wasn't sure if it sold off the Bay or simply overpriced, or what since it ended early.
Need some cool eyecatching stuff for a show next month, and figured these would spiffy up the booth. Now I can talk about them with some degree of authority, one shouldn't come off like a complete idiot!
posted on August 20, 2005 10:08:30 AM new
foo dogs sell well on ebay,i dont recall ever not selling any of mine.
They usually come in pair-male and female,male will have his paws on a globe and the female has her paw on a cub.
if there is room ,add the words-dragon,kirin as well to get more views.
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posted on August 20, 2005 11:00:51 AM new
most sought after foo dogs would be bronze and ivory.
The blanc de chine one shown on ebay asking 110 is overpriced for ebay bidders.
You can do a search on how well porcelain foo dogs do on Ebay.
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posted on August 20, 2005 11:09:45 AM new
Thanks Stopwhining -- but as noted, I am taking to a show, and not listing on eBay at this time anyway. Just needed info on time period, approx. pricing, and origin, which I got, thanks to you all.
Since I don't like reserves (and I don't like to chance fate, luck and circumstances), there are lots of things that never go on eBay. Then there are many that do, and for which eBay is the perfect venue such as some of my "roadkill" finds.
posted on August 20, 2005 12:10:15 PM new
I have a bronze or brass foo dog. It belonged to my grandmother. I don't know where she got it but she had it since the depression.It's all black and extremely heavy for it's size. On the bottom where the black has worn off, you can see a gold or brass color. Very intricate detail
posted on August 20, 2005 03:58:11 PM new
It is ? Oh, I didnt know that. I know mine is very old. No marks on the bottom. I don't think I'd ever sell it. I took it to the SF museum once during family day. They looked at it. I had no idea what it was. They instantly said, "Where's the other one?" That's when I learned that they come in pairs and that it was a foo dog. Up to that point, i was calling him my dragon Let's see if I can remember how to put a foto here of my "doggie"
posted on August 20, 2005 05:06:11 PM new
Yeah,WHERE IS THE OTHER ONE??
This is an odd looking foo dog,wonder how his mate looks like?
hard to tell if it is bronze,you can place a magnet over it,if it is iron,it would attract.
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posted on August 20, 2005 05:11:21 PM new
see,he is male,as he is holding a globe,so the female should be holding a cub.
kirin or foo dogs guard the temple,they are actually biblical lions presented as gifts to the Chinese emperor by the middle eastern folks.
The bliblical lions have gone extinct in middle east but you can still find them in India.
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posted on August 22, 2005 05:57:11 AM new
Stopwhining - I've always thought a kirin and foo dog were different.
I thought kirins were mythical horses that tread so lightly through the forest that they don't even leave footprints. They are regarded as very gentle unless they think you are doing wrong, then they kick you or something mean.
I believe that is Japanese folklore. Am I wrong or is it different in Chinese & Japanese myths?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on August 23, 2005 08:58:21 AM new
When I lived in the Orient, I was told that the female had her mouth open and the male has his mouth closed. I've never noticed the object under the dog's paw but have noticed that the mouth positions are always different in the pair.
posted on August 23, 2005 01:36:21 PM new
Kirin is not a horse,may be you are thinking of pegasus or unicorn??
Kirin is a mythical animal,but I think it is really a lion as the Chinese has never seen a lion until it is presented to the emperor from the arabs.
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posted on August 23, 2005 05:39:48 PM new
Stop, I never knew that about the chinese and the arabs. How interesting. How did you know that or shall I say, WHERE did you learn that. This is something I'd like to explore further with my son. He is really into Asian History. It must have something to do with the silk road? Maybe not. If you have any info that I can get started on to share with my son, I'd would really appreciate it. Another neat thing we can do together.
-------------- Just remember--------------------------------------
You'll always land on your feet if you know where the ground is. . .
posted on August 23, 2005 06:38:58 PM new
yes,the Silk road brought many foreigners into Central China,back then China is really central China occupied by the Hans people,surrounding Central CHina would be the so called minority tribes such as Mongolian,Manchurian,Tibetan etc.There are many smaller tribes in southern China close to the Burmese border,there are the nomadic Muslim tribes in the desert in the West.The Great Wall was built to prevent invasion by these tribes,however some managed to conquer the Hans and established the Yuan and Qing dynasties.
The Yuan Dynasty is establisbed by the Mongolians and the Qing dynasty by the Manchurians.
During the Yuan dynasty,there are many foreigners in China,do you know there were 10,000 Jews in just one city alone??
The Chinese emperor often sent army/expedition team to surrounding regions to quell unrest,to conquer and to explore,the result is usually somekind of reciprocal relationship where each year an ambassador came to pay tribute bearing gifts.
Thats why you see exotic animals such as camel,lion,greyhound dog,elephant .
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posted on August 24, 2005 06:30:14 AM new
I've found many different meanings for the Kirin - it is considered a sort of Japanese unicorn. This is the information that I am familiar with below - But some of the info I found says it is a foo dog, or lion type beast.
Kirin - Mythical Horned Deer-like Creature
A qilin, also spelled kylin and qilin, is a mythical horned Chinese deer-like creature that is said to appear only when a sage has appeared. It is a good omen that brings Rui4 ( roughly translated to serenity and prosperity). It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. In most drawings, its head looks like that of a Chinese dragon. The qilin is sometimes translated as unicorn in English, because it is superficially similar to the unicorn in being a hooved imaginary beast having a single horn on its head. It was also the animal of the ancient emperor Yao's minister of justice, Gao Yao. The Qilin could recognise whether a person was guilty or not.
Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the sinners; when it walked on grass, it could not trample it. Being a peaceful creature, its diet did not include flesh.
In Japanese, the qilin is called a kirin. Japanese art tends to depict the qilin as more deerlike than in Chinese art. The word kirin has come to be used in modern Japanese for a giraffe.
Caroline 
