狛犬像|Guardian Lion-Dogs

Unknown

mid-13th century · Japanese cypress with lacquer, gold leaf, and color · Asian Art

Pairs of lion‑dogs (komainu), featuring leonine heads on canine bodies, are traditionally placed before the entrance of Shinto shrines to ward off evil. The figure on the right is distinguished by its open mouth (a gyō), while the figure on the left bears a closed mouth (un gyō). These features may echo the open‑ and closed‑mouth iconography of Niō, the pair of guardian deities who protect Buddhist temples.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-13th century

Medium

Japanese cypress with lacquer, gold leaf, and color

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015