Page:Peking the Beautiful.pdf/64

 A Guardian of the Gate

MONG the many interesting sights to be found within the grounds of the celebrated Summer Palace are its bronzes. Within the circle of its high walls there has been brought together what is, perhaps, the greatest array of statuary that can be found in any one place in Peking, Statues of the famous men of China-her kings or her warriors, or those depicting great historical events, such as we find in every American or European city, are conspicuously absent. But we do find other bronzes kere-some very ancient and of unusual value and beauty. Perhaps the most popular subjects for the ancient, as well as the more modern worker in bronze is the lion-the guardian of Peking's gateways. "Such mythical monsters, carved in stone, cast in bronze, or fashioned in cloisonné, are commonly found before the entrances of important buildings in Peking. Their living prototypes, both male and female, are supposed by the Chinese to secrete milk in their paus. Hence the representation of the female holding a cub underfoot to feed it. [See page 130.) The male, free from matemal cares, is said to occupy his leisure hours and preserve his manly strength by playing with the ball." Before every palace gateway, and guarding every important doorway in the capital we find a pair of these huge "figures so unlike what they are meant to represent." Some of these imperial lions were immensely valuable; One pair even having been made of gold. These famous lions once stood before the palace gates of the Yüan Ming Yuan, and disappeared, probably during the war of 1860 when the armies of the French and British despoiled the beautiful palace gardens. The handsome specimen shown on the opposite page is one of a very famous pair that still stand guard at the entrance to the principal halls and temples of the New Summer Palace. These two lions face the pailou and lake shown on page twenty-one, and are mounted high on lofty marble pedestals. Referring to these in her fascinating book, Peking, Juliet Bredon says: "These two lions are not only works of art but are historically interesting. Legend says they were cast by Sun Ch'uan, one of the three princes of the period of the Three Kingdoms (A.D. 221-265) who reigned at Nanking and at Hanyang. In the latter place these lions were said to have stood in his palace. They were transported to the Yi Ho Yuan by Ch'ien Lung. The antiquity of their origin is, of course, exaggerated. Nevertheless, to-day, with their glorious 'five-colored' patina due to the richness of their gold and silver alloy, they are beautiful with the beauty of age. The Manchu House is credited with having recently refused an offer of two million dollars made for them by the Peking Curio Dealers' Guild." (See paqes 20, 38, 46, 88, 80, 90, 94, 104, 216, 218, and 130.]