Vintage ALVA Museum Replica Gold Lion / Foo Dog / Shishi Brooch Pin.

The brooch is marked "Alva Museum Replicas" and comes with the Original Gift Box and Paperwork.

The brooch measures 1 1/4" by 5/8".

It has been well-maintained and cared for over the years and is in excellent condition.

Menuki - Lion ( Shishi )
The original is of gold, a sword fitting (menuki), Japanese, late 18th century.

Swords and sword fittings for Japanese warriors were produced by more that sixty distinct schools of metalworkers between 700 AD and 1900.  The small menuki - always made in pairs - were placed on either side of the hilt both for decoration and to strengthen the grip.  With the establishment of the Shogunate in 1603, a long period of peace ensued in which the sword became increasingly less important as a weapon of war and the decorations grew more elaborate.  The love of small objects and the attention to detail that the Japanese artists and craftsmen are famous for, resulted in many elaborate and delightful miniature sculptures in the form of menuki.

The shishi, a mythological creature that resembles a stylized lion, has a curly mane, glaring eyes, and a large mouth.  Pairs of these shishi (also called Dogs of Fo), carved in stone, guard the entrances of Buddhist Temples in both China and Japan.  An open mouthed shishi is said to be uttering aum, the first Sanskrit vowel.  The shishi has been symbolic of bravery and strength since ancient times, and was especially popular for armor decoration. 

Authorized reproduction made in 24k gold, electroplated pewter from the original in The Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio.  1978 Alva Museum Replicas, Inc.,  New York.

 

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Alva Studios, operated by Alfred Wolkenberg. Alfred was born in Vienna in 1911 and immigrated to the US in 1939. In 1948 he founded Alva Studios of Long Island City, NY. He had many artists and designers who were commissioned to produce reproductions of priceless ancient jewelry and sculpture. The pieces were marked Alva Museum Replicas and sold at famous museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art ( MMA ), Smithsonian Institute ( SI ), The Louvre, The Art Institute of Chicago, etc...

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Make sure to check out our other listings for many more vintage Alva Museum Replicas Jewelry.  (Necklaces, Brooches, Earrings, Combo Pins and Pendants, Belt Buckles, Cufflinks, and Tie Tacks)