Light celadon jade pendant depicting a Buddhist lion and its cub, China, 18th century The lion is shown reclining, its massive head with bulbous eyes and a ruyi-shaped snout, facing backwards. The curly coat is finely incised, notably to represent the eyebrows, tail, mane and spine. The clawed paws are tucked under the animal's belly. The young cub, carved in the same way, stands on the neck of the adult lion. Length: 8.5 cm This subject represents the wish: taishi shaoshi - "May you and your descendants achieve a high rank". Sculptures of animals with their young gained in popularity during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and continued to be made during the Qing period. Among the animals associated with Buddhism, the lion is one of the most represented.