Decorative boxes like these were given to young boys by their grandparents as hope chests in Shanxi, Tibet and other regions of China. Each year other small gifts were then given on the child's birthday to keep inside the box. The painted lions on the front are known as 'foo dogs' - the guardians of Chinese temples. Foo dog boxes with the original paintings are now diificult to find and are quite valuable. These particular ones are old boxes that have been repainted more recently by a Tibetan artist. Please note that the dimensions and photos shown are an indication only as the sizes and decoration on each box varies.
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