{"id":5635,"date":"2026-10-09T05:49:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T05:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/?p=5635"},"modified":"2026-10-09T05:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T05:49:40","slug":"lion-symbolism-in-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/lion-symbolism-in-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion Symbolism in Art: Bali\u2019s Winged Singa and the Barong"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"aob-custom-article\">\n\n<div class=\"definition-box\"><p>Lion symbolism in art points mostly to kingship, courage, and protection, though every culture adds its own twist. In Bali the lion appears as the winged singa that guards roof beams and as the lion Barong that fights the witch Rangda, even though lions were never native to Southeast Asia. This guide covers both, then looks at a sand texture lion painting that just arrived in the gallery.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"highlight-inline\"><p><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"quality-list\">\n<li>Across the cultures we checked, the lion most often stands for kingship, courage, or guarding a doorway.<\/li>\n<li>Wild lions live only in sub-Saharan Africa and India today, and they were never native to Southeast Asia, so Balinese carvers imagined the animal.<\/li>\n<li>The winged singa sits where roof beams meet and keeps spirits away. The lion Barong goes into the dance and fights Rangda.<\/li>\n<li>Imperial Lion Sovereign is a savannah lion portrait in acrylic and sand texture, 50 \u00d7 60 cm. It is not a singa or a Barong.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"img-block portrait\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Imperial-Lion-Sovereign-Painting.webp\" alt=\"Lion symbolism in art: Imperial Lion Sovereign sand texture lion painting on marsoto canvas at Arts of Bali\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" loading=\"eager\" title=\"- Arts of Bali\"><div class=\"img-meta\"><p class=\"caption\">Imperial Lion Sovereign, an acrylic and sand texture lion portrait on Marsoto canvas, 50 \u00d7 60 cm. <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/imperial-lion-sovereign-painting\/\" title=\"Imperial Lion Sovereign Painting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">View this painting &amp; price<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">The Big Picture<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">What Lion Symbolism Means in Art Across Cultures<\/h2>\n\n<p>Ask what a lion stands for and the answer changes depending on which wall you are looking at. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cultural_depictions_of_lions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia&#8217;s survey of cultural depictions of lions<\/a> is a handy map, and a few patterns come through clearly.<\/p>\n\n<p>In Mesopotamia the lion was a symbol of kingship, and the Lion of Babylon still stands at the Ishtar Gate. In ancient Egypt the lioness goddess Sekhmet was a war deity and a protector of the pharaohs. Mycenaean art from about 1600 to 1400 BC leaned hard on lions, and the Lion Gate at Mycenae shows two lionesses flanking a column. European heraldry later made the lion a charge for courage, and lions feature in the Plantagenet arms.<\/p>\n\n<p>Asia gives the lion a second set of jobs. In Hinduism, Narasimha the man-lion is the fourth avatar of Vishnu, and the lion is the vehicle of the goddess Durga. Pillars raised under Emperor Ashoka carried lions with the chakra emblem, and the Lion Capital of Ashoka inspired India&#8217;s national emblem. Lion statues guard the four main entrances of Borobudur in Java, and paired guardian lions sit at doorways in China. One animal can be a king, a goddess&#8217;s mount, or a doorkeeper.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"table-wrap comparison-table\"><table>\n<thead><tr><th>Culture<\/th><th>What the lion stands for<\/th><th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Mesopotamia<\/td><td>Kingship<\/td><td>Lion of Babylon at the Ishtar Gate<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Ancient Egypt<\/td><td>War and protection<\/td><td>Sekhmet, and sphinxes with lioness bodies<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Ancient Greece<\/td><td>Raw strength to be overcome<\/td><td>Lion Gate at Mycenae, Heracles and the Nemean lion<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Judah<\/td><td>Tribal emblem<\/td><td>Jacob&#8217;s blessing in Genesis 49<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>European heraldry<\/td><td>Courage<\/td><td>Plantagenet arms<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Hinduism<\/td><td>Divine power<\/td><td>Narasimha, and Durga&#8217;s lion mount<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Buddhist India<\/td><td>Public emblem<\/td><td>Ashoka&#8217;s lion pillars, India&#8217;s national emblem<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Southeast Asia<\/td><td>Guardian<\/td><td>Borobudur entrances, winged lions in East Java and Bali<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>China<\/td><td>Doorway guardian<\/td><td>Paired lions at the Forbidden City<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<p class=\"table-note\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cultural_depictions_of_lions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia, Cultural depictions of lions<\/a>. The middle column is our own short summary, so treat it as a simplification.<\/p>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">The Odd Part<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">Why Bali Carved Lions It Had Never Seen<\/h2>\n\n<p>Here is the strange part. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia&#8217;s entry on the lion<\/a> says wild lions are found only in sub-Saharan Africa and India today, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asiatic_lion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Asiatic lion<\/a> survives only in and around Gir National Park in Gujarat. The cultural depictions page adds that lions were never native to Southeast Asia in recorded history, and that lion carvings in Java and Cambodia look stylized because the artists had never seen one.<\/p>\n\n<p>Singapore is the famous example. Its name comes from Malay and Sanskrit-derived words for lion and city, and the Malay Annals tell of a beast seen on the shore in the 14th century that was identified as a lion, even though lions have never lived there. That sentence about stylized carvings names Java and Cambodia, not Bali, but the logic carries over: no lions on the island, so the animal had to be imagined.<\/p>\n\n<p>Bali did have its own big cat once. The <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bali_tiger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bali tiger<\/a> is listed as extinct since the 1950s, and we wrote about that in our <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tiger-painting-bali\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tiger painting guide<\/a>. The lion is different. It is an idea that arrived through stories and art, then got reshaped by local hands into something that looks nothing like the animal on the African plains.<\/p>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">The Guardian<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">The Winged Lion of Bali: Singa and Singa Ambara<\/h2>\n\n<p>The Balinese lion most visitors notice is the winged one, called a singa. The cultural depictions page notes a winged lion statue in East Java and in Balinese temples, often as a guardian. Two museum records help pin down what the figure actually does.<\/p>\n\n<p>A Singapore museum record describes a carved wooden singa barong from the first half of the 20th century, seated on a plinth of stylized clouds. It says the figure was a common finial on roof beams in temples and palaces, a protective figure that guards entrances and passageways and keeps demonic forces away. The same record says that in Balinese myth a singa barong was sent to earth to defeat Rangda, a witch who devoured children and caused chaos.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Weltmuseum Wien lists a 19th century carving titled Singa Ambara Raja. Citing a 2010 publication by Sri Kuhnt-Saptodewo, its description says winged lions like this were placed where the beams of a Balinese roof meet, as symbolic guardians against spirits that could disturb the people inside.<\/p>\n\n<p>So the singa is a lion with a job. It sits at the joints of a building and keeps watch. If that guardian idea appeals to you, our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/bhoma-bali-temple-guardian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bhoma, the fierce face above temple gates<\/a> covers a close cousin, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/balinese-art-symbols\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Balinese art symbols guide<\/a> covers Garuda, Naga, and Ganesha.<\/p>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">The Dancer<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">The Lion Barong and Its Fight With Rangda<\/h2>\n\n<p>The other Balinese lion is the Barong. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Barong_(mythology)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikipedia<\/a> describes the lion Barong as the most common of the five traditional Barongs, a symbol of a good spirit and the king of the spirits. It has a red head, thick white fur, and gilded jewelry decorated with mirror pieces. It is linked to Banas Pati Raja, described as the fourth spirit &#8220;brother&#8221; who accompanies a child through life.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Barong battles Rangda, the demon queen, in the Calon Arang dance drama, and the Barong dance is read as the endless struggle between good and evil. We tell that story in full in our <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/calon-arang-bali\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Calon Arang guide<\/a>, and the painted and carved versions are covered in <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/barong-painting-bali\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barong painting Bali<\/a> dan <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/balinese-wood-carving-mask\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Balinese mask carvings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Put the two side by side and you get a useful contrast. The singa guards from a fixed spot on a building. The lion Barong steps into the dance and fights. Both are lions, and both are about protection, but they do it in different ways.<\/p>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">In the Gallery<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">A Savannah Lion on Sand Texture: Imperial Lion Sovereign<\/h2>\n\n<p>This article exists because of a new arrival. Imperial Lion Sovereign is an acrylic painting on Marsoto canvas, 50 \u00d7 60 cm, listed at Rp3,500,000. The listing describes a hand-painted lion with a fierce gaze and a sand texture technique that gives the surface a rugged, three-dimensional finish, and it calls the piece a proclamation of courage, leadership, and untamed elegance.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"img-block portrait\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Imperial-Lion-Sovereign-Painting-2.webp\" alt=\"Realistic wild lion hand-painted in acrylic with a three-dimensional sand texture finish at Arts of Bali\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" title=\"- Arts of Bali\"><div class=\"img-meta\"><p class=\"caption\">A second view of Imperial Lion Sovereign.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>We want to be clear about what it is not. This is a lion of the savannah, painted as a realist portrait. It is not a singa and it is not a Barong, and the listing does not name the painter, so we will not either. Where it connects to the Balinese material above is the old job the lion has always had in art: courage, leadership, a presence you cannot ignore.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sand texture painting means sand is worked into the paint so the surface turns rough and raised. Up close you see the grit. From across the room you see the animal. We cover the method in our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/lukisan-bertekstur-bali\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">textured painting in Bali<\/a>, and two other gallery lions appear in our <a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/lukisan-satwa-liar-bali\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wildlife painting guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"img-block portrait\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Imperial-Lion-Sovereign-Painting-3.webp\" alt=\"Close-up of rugged sand texture on the mane and eyes of the Imperial Lion Sovereign painting\" width=\"1272\" height=\"2256\" title=\"- Arts of Bali\"><div class=\"img-meta\"><p class=\"caption\">Close-up of the sand texture on the mane and around the eyes.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"table-wrap comparison-table\"><table>\n<thead><tr><th>Lukisan<\/th><th>Medium<\/th><th>Size<\/th><th>Price<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/imperial-lion-sovereign-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Imperial Lion Sovereign<\/a><\/td><td>Acrylic and sand texture on Marsoto canvas<\/td><td>50 \u00d7 60 cm<\/td><td>Rp3,500,000<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/the-majestic-lion-monarch-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Majestic Lion Monarch<\/a><\/td><td>Paint and sand texture on Marsoto canvas<\/td><td>70 \u00d7 70 cm<\/td><td>Rp1,500,000<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/golden-lion-oil-palette-knife-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Lion Oil Palette Knife<\/a><\/td><td>Oil on cotton canvas, palette knife impasto<\/td><td>50 \u00d7 60 cm<\/td><td>Rp3,450,000<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/the-majestic-barong-sacred-guardian-spirit-palette-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Majestic Barong<\/a><\/td><td>Paint on Marsoto canvas, palette knife<\/td><td>100 \u00d7 120 cm<\/td><td>Rp7,000,000<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<p class=\"table-note\">Details are from the product listings on 8 October 2026. Prices and availability can change.<\/p>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">Choosing<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">How to Pick a Lion Painting for Your Wall<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"cultural-cards\">\n<div class=\"cultural-card\"><h3>Decide which lion you mean<\/h3><p>A savannah lion reads as courage and leadership, the words the listing uses. A Barong or a singa brings the Balinese story of protection with it.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"cultural-card\"><h3>Look at the surface<\/h3><p>Sand texture is gritty and raised. Oil palette knife work is built in thick, sculpted layers, as the Golden Lion listing puts it. Ask for close-up photos, because the surface is half the painting.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"cultural-card\"><h3>Match the scale<\/h3><p>The lion portraits here run from 50 \u00d7 60 cm to 70 \u00d7 70 cm, and the Barong is 100 \u00d7 120 cm. Measure your wall before you fall for a size.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"cultural-card\"><h3>Ask what the listing leaves out<\/h3><p>If the painter&#8217;s name, framing, or shipping matters to you, message us and we will tell you what we have on record.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"cta-block\"><h3>Ask About a Lion Painting<\/h3><p>Tell us the wall and the mood you want, and we will send close-up photos and shipping options for the lion paintings in the gallery. We ship worldwide.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/6285237454011\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"cta-btn\">Mengobrol di WhatsApp<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/galeri\/imperial-lion-sovereign-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"cta-btn outline\">View Imperial Lion Sovereign<\/a><\/div>\n\n<span class=\"section-label\">Questions<\/span>\n<h2 class=\"section-h2\">Lion Symbolism FAQ<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"faq-section\">\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">What does a lion symbolize in art?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">Most often kingship, courage, and protection. Mesopotamian art used the lion for kingship, European heraldry for courage, and Asian temples for guardianship at the door. The meaning shifts by culture, so the same animal can be a ruler in one painting and a doorkeeper in another.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">What does the lion symbolize in Balinese art?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">Protection. The winged singa sits where roof beams meet and guards against spirits, according to museum records. The lion Barong is a symbol of a good spirit and the king of the spirits, and it battles the demon queen Rangda in the Calon Arang dance drama, a fight read as good against evil.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">Are there lions in Bali?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">No. Wild lions live only in sub-Saharan Africa and India today, and lions were never native to Southeast Asia in recorded history. Bali&#8217;s lions are carved and painted figures built from stories and art. The island&#8217;s own big cat, the Bali tiger, is listed as extinct since the 1950s.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">What is the winged lion in Bali called?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">It is called a singa. Museum records name individual carvings a singa barong or Singa Ambara Raja. Winged lions like these were placed on roof beams in temples and palaces as protective figures that guard entrances and keep demonic forces away. Wikipedia also notes similar statues in East Java.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">Is the Barong a lion?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">The lion Barong is the most common of the five traditional Barongs, according to Wikipedia. It has a red head, thick white fur, and gilded jewelry set with mirror pieces. Other Barongs take different animal forms, so not every Barong looks like a lion.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">What is sand texture painting?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">It is a technique where sand is worked into the paint so the surface becomes rough and raised. The Imperial Lion Sovereign listing says it uses a sand texture technique to create a rugged, three-dimensional finish on the lion&#8217;s mane and eyes. Close up you see grit, and from a distance you see the animal.<\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"faq-item\"><summary class=\"faq-q\">Does Imperial Lion Sovereign show a Balinese lion?<\/summary><div class=\"faq-a\">No. It is a realist portrait of a savannah lion, painted in acrylic with sand texture on Marsoto canvas, 50 \u00d7 60 cm. It is not a singa or a Barong. The listing does not name the painter, so we do not either. It carries the lion&#8217;s older meaning of courage and leadership.<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tag-row\"><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/bali-culture\/\" class=\"tag\">Budaya Bali<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/balinese-tradition\/\" class=\"tag\">Tradisi Bali<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/lukisan-mitologi-bali\/\" class=\"tag\">Balinese Mythology Painting<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/barong-painting-bali\/\" class=\"tag\">Barong Painting Bali<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/lion-painting\/\" class=\"tag\">Lion Painting<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/tag\/lukisan-tekstur-pasir\/\" class=\"tag\">Lukisan Tekstur Pasir<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n            \"@id\": 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\"Painting\",\n            \"keywords\": \"lion symbolism, lion painting meaning, what does a lion symbolize, balinese winged lion, singa bali, barong bali, sand texture painting\"\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/#faq\",\n            \"mainEntity\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What does a lion symbolize in art?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Most often kingship, courage, and protection. Mesopotamian art used the lion for kingship, European heraldry for courage, and Asian temples for guardianship at the door. The meaning shifts by culture, so the same animal can be a ruler in one painting and a doorkeeper in another.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What does the lion symbolize in Balinese art?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Protection. The winged singa sits where roof beams meet and guards against spirits, according to museum records. The lion Barong is a symbol of a good spirit and the king of the spirits, and it battles the demon queen Rangda in the Calon Arang dance drama, a fight read as good against evil.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Are there lions in Bali?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"No. Wild lions live only in sub-Saharan Africa and India today, and lions were never native to Southeast Asia in recorded history. Bali's lions are carved and painted figures built from stories and art. The island's own big cat, the Bali tiger, is listed as extinct since the 1950s.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the winged lion in Bali called?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"It is called a singa. Museum records name individual carvings a singa barong or Singa Ambara Raja. Winged lions like these were placed on roof beams in temples and palaces as protective figures that guard entrances and keep demonic forces away. Wikipedia also notes similar statues in East Java.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Is the Barong a lion?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"The lion Barong is the most common of the five traditional Barongs, according to Wikipedia. It has a red head, thick white fur, and gilded jewelry set with mirror pieces. Other Barongs take different animal forms, so not every Barong looks like a lion.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is sand texture painting?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"It is a technique where sand is worked into the paint so the surface becomes rough and raised. The Imperial Lion Sovereign listing says it uses a sand texture technique to create a rugged, three-dimensional finish on the lion's mane and eyes. Close up you see grit, and from a distance you see the animal.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Does Imperial Lion Sovereign show a Balinese lion?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"No. It is a realist portrait of a savannah lion, painted in acrylic with sand texture on Marsoto canvas, 50 \\u00d7 60 cm. It is not a singa or a Barong. The listing does not name the painter, so we do not either. It carries the lion's older meaning of courage and leadership.\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n            \"itemListElement\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n                    \"position\": 1,\n                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/\"\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n                    \"position\": 2,\n                    \"name\": \"Blog\",\n                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/blog\\\/\"\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n                    \"position\": 3,\n                    \"name\": \"Lion Symbolism in Art\",\n                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/\"\n                }\n            ]\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/\",\n            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/\",\n            \"name\": \"Lion Symbolism in Art: Bali's Winged Singa and the Barong\",\n            \"description\": \"Lion symbolism in art, from kingship and courage to Bali's winged singa and lion Barong, plus a sand texture lion painting to see it up close.\",\n            \"isPartOf\": {\n                \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/#website\",\n                \"name\": \"Arts of Bali\",\n                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\"\n            },\n            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/#primaryimage\"\n            },\n            \"breadcrumb\": {\n                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/artsofbali.com\\\/lion-symbolism-in-art\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n            }\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lion symbolism in art points mostly to kingship, courage, and protection, though every culture adds its own twist. In Bali the lion appears as the winged singa that guards roof beams and as the lion Barong that fights the witch Rangda, even though lions were never native to Southeast Asia. This guide covers both, then [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-painting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5635"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5636,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5635\/revisions\/5636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsofbali.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}