I discovered Foo-dogs when watching an episode of Downton Abbey. I was intrigued by a pair of dog figurines in the Dowager Lady Violet's drawing room that looked like jade but actually turned out to be ceramic and not quite dogs either because they have the head of a Chinese dragon - I learned that they in fact represent guardian lions such as those seen traditionally in front of Chinese Imperial palaces. They are called "Shi" and are usually in pairs representing a male and female lion. I saw the pair above on eBay - it turns out there is a whole section on eBay devoted to Foo-Dogs and they can be found at affordable prices. So I am looking out for more items like the actual props I have seen on the show.
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