A painted grey pottery lion jar stand

The stand is finely modelled in the form of the front quarters of four lions, facing out to the four directions, in each case with the paws held in front of the chest, and with a fierce-looking maned head with glaring eyes, and alternatingly with the mouth open showing the teeth.  They surround a solidly built vertical tubular structure. Considerable amounts of the original pigment remain on the lions and on the outside of the central tube. The interior of the tube shows the grey ware. 

Provenance:
Priestley & Ferraro, 'Recent Acquisitions', London 2002

This rare stand would have supported a "pagoda-shaped" jar, that is, an ovoid jar with a high-stepped cover.  Such jars, found mostly in northern China, show a variety of stands, most commonly lotus, but sometimes animals like elephants, or, as here, lions. 

彩繪灰陶四隻獅子形瓶托

Dimensions: Height: 14 cm, 5 ½ inches

Date: Tang dynasty (618-906)