Why is there a ball in the mouth of a stone lion?

The stone lion with a ball in its mouth comes from myths and legends: according to legend, in ancient times, there were many monsters in the world, who ran amok and made waves and disturbed civilians.

When a person sees this situation, he wants to relieve the people's suffering, so he seeks eternal life and learns the skills of reducing demons. The immortal was very moved and gave him a treasure bead. As long as it is contained in the mouth, it will become a lion with the ability to subdue demons.

Shishi not only has different characteristics of the times, but also has obvious regional characteristics. Generally speaking, the stone lions in the north are atmospheric in appearance and simple in carving; The stone lions in the south are more aura, lively in shape and diverse in carving. The cubs are lively and lovely, not only under the lioness's palm, but also on the lion's back.

Extended data:

As a common evil spirit in China traditional culture, the stone lion is a sculpture with artistic value and ornamental value.

The earliest stone lion was in front of Gaoyi tomb in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is often used as decoration in traditional buildings in China, and it is found in palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, mansions, gardens, tombs and buttons in China.

But more often, Shishi refers to a pair of lions placed on the left and right sides of the gate. Its shape is not the lion we see now, probably because most people in China have never seen a real lion on the African grassland, but some people say that lions in the western regions are different from those in Africa.