Traditional Chinese Lions (Indianapolis Zoo)
Encyclopedia
Traditional Chinese Lions, is a public artwork located at the entrance to the Indianapolis Zoo
, which is near downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
. The sculpture is made up of two traditional Chinese lions made of white marble
situated on white marble bases. Each lion
is approximately 53 inches in height, 24.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep. Each base is approximately 36 inches in height, 24.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep. Each sculpture is four tons. The pieces were made by four carvers from Fang Shan County, Zhejiang
Province, China
, as a gift from Indiana's sister province, Zhejiang
. They were completed in January 1988 and dedicated on June 27, 1988 as part of the Indianapolis Zoo's opening within White River State Park
.
The sculpture is made of two stylized Chinese lions set on pedestals, facing each other. The female lion on the west, or proper right, holds a baby cub in her arms. The male lion on the east, or proper left, plays with an embroidery ball. The lions represent luck and happiness.
A gold
inscription on the proper right side of the base of the female lion reads:
A gold inscription on the proper left side of the base of the male lion, in simplified Chinese characters, reads
which has a very similar meaning to the message on the other base.
This is followed by the name of the company-manufacturer of the statues, which unfortunately is not very legible now.
. The sculpture was carved by the Boruff brothers out of a block of limestone from Bedford, Indiana
. The project was paid for by donations, primarily from several banks in Indianapolis and Bedford.
Indianapolis Zoo
The Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, first opened to the public in 1964. Its current home in White River State Park was opened in 1988 with a size of . The zoo hosts more than a million visitors each year and plays a role in worldwide conservation and research, including...
, which is near downtown Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The sculpture is made up of two traditional Chinese lions made of white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
situated on white marble bases. Each lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
is approximately 53 inches in height, 24.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep. Each base is approximately 36 inches in height, 24.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep. Each sculpture is four tons. The pieces were made by four carvers from Fang Shan County, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as a gift from Indiana's sister province, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. They were completed in January 1988 and dedicated on June 27, 1988 as part of the Indianapolis Zoo's opening within White River State Park
White River State Park
White River State ParkDesignationState ParkLocationIndianapolis, Indiana USANearest CityIndianapolis, IndianaArea Date of Establishment1979Governing Body...
.
Description
The sculpture is made of two stylized Chinese lions set on pedestals, facing each other. The female lion on the west, or proper right, holds a baby cub in her arms. The male lion on the east, or proper left, plays with an embroidery ball. The lions represent luck and happiness.
A gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
inscription on the proper right side of the base of the female lion reads:
- In memory of the establishment
- of Province - State relations of
- friendship between the Province
- of Zhejiang, the Peoples Repub-
- lic of China and the State of/
- Indiana, the United States
- Governor Shen ZulunShen ZulunShen Zulun is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the former governor of Zhejiang Province.- Biography :...
- Zhejiang Province
- P. R. China
- January 1988
A gold inscription on the proper left side of the base of the male lion, in simplified Chinese characters, reads
- 中华人民共和国浙江省与美利坚合
- 众国印第安纳州建立友好关系纪念
- 浙江省省长 沈祖伦
- 一九八八年元月
which has a very similar meaning to the message on the other base.
This is followed by the name of the company-manufacturer of the statues, which unfortunately is not very legible now.
Condition
The Traditional Chinese Lions were surveyed in December 1992 as part of the Indiana Survey for the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture initiative. At the time their condition was described as, "treatment urgent." A September 2009 evaluation found the sculptures to be in poor condition, with multiple large cracks and numerous smaller fractures throughout, as well as repaired losses in the marble.Reciprocal gift
As a reciprocal gift, Governor Orr of Indiana offered Zhejiang a statue of an American BisonAmerican Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
. The sculpture was carved by the Boruff brothers out of a block of limestone from Bedford, Indiana
Bedford, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,768 people, 6,054 households, and 3,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,157.1 people per square mile . There were 6,618 housing units at an average density of 556.2 per square mile...
. The project was paid for by donations, primarily from several banks in Indianapolis and Bedford.
See also
- Chinese guardian lionsChinese guardian lionsChinese guardian lions, known as Shishi lions or Imperial guardian lion, and often incorrectly called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China...
- American Bison (sculpture)
- North American Plains Animals (sculpture)