Guardian Lions - Ottawa, Ontario
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Weathervane
N 45° 24.724 W 075° 41.780
18T E 445513 N 5028963
These two granite Guardian Lions , one a male, the other a female, are located in front of the Chinese Canadian Heritage Center - Trillium Hall, on Kent Street in Ottawa, Ontario.
Waymark Code: WMYH3C
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 06/15/2018
Views: 8
The Male Lion
The symbolism of the lions begins with their gender, one male, one female, reflective of the long Chinese Taoist tradition of the yin and the yang, familiar in the west as the white and black 'tadpole' forms intertwined with their opposite-shaded eye.
The male lion, symbolic of the Yang, usually has one paw placed upon a ball. It may come as some surprise to know that the ball is actually supposed to be embroidered and not, as may be expected, representative of some weapon or other masculine accessory.
The embroidered ball itself has a long history. Often made from discarded clothing as a toy for children, their gift came to represent friendship and affection. To this day in China, the throwing of an embroidered ball from a woman to her beloved in the hope he will catch it to bring about good fortune is an aspect of courtship.
The male will tend to have his mouth open (the lion, not the lover), though reasons for this are disputed. His primary function is guardianship of the structure itself in its solid materialism, and so also other material aspects of the structure such as its solidity and overall prosperity.
The Female Lion
As the male lion is representative of the male attributes of yang, so the female is representative of the female power of yin.
She is seen in company with a cub, often held stationary beneath a protective paw mirroring the male with his embroidered ball. This symbolizes her guardianship over the people within the building as the male guards the building itself. Hers is the power of life.
As the tendency is for the male lion to have his mouth open, so the female is often represented with her mouth closed. She is no less fearsome than her male counterpart in the representation of her guardianship. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a creature more fearsome than a lioness protecting her cubs.
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