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= JAPAN
KAMAKURA-MUROMACHI PERIOD, 13th-14th CENTURY
Pair of gilded lacquered wood Komainu dog-guards
Each depicted seated, their manes polychromed. One with open mouth and the other with closed mouth. Glass-encrusted eyes.
Size: 44.5 x 40 x 23 cm
Provenance: Gregg Baker Gallery, London
Carbon-14 dating certificate from Laboratoire RCD RadioCarbon Dating, June 2013.
NOTE
A pair of guardian lions is frequently placed at the entrance to shrines to protect the entrance. This tradition, which originated in China, came to Japan via Korea, specifically the kingdom of Koguroy, whose ancient name in Japanese was "Koma". This gave rise to the name "komainu", literally "Korean dog". From the Heian period (794-1185) onwards, the two guardians were clearly differentiated. The one on the right, called "komainu", looks like a dog with an open mouth (agyo), while the one on the left, called "shishi", resembles a lion with a closed mouth (ungyo). Gradually, the name "komainu" came to be used for both guardians, and their appearance became standardized.
KAMAKURA-MUROMACHI PERIOD, 13th-14th CENTURY
Pair of gilded lacquered wood Komainu dog-guards
Each depicted seated, their manes polychromed. One with open mouth and the other with closed mouth. Glass-encrusted eyes.
Size: 44.5 x 40 x 23 cm
Provenance: Gregg Baker Gallery, London
Carbon-14 dating certificate from Laboratoire RCD RadioCarbon Dating, June 2013.
NOTE
A pair of guardian lions is frequently placed at the entrance to shrines to protect the entrance. This tradition, which originated in China, came to Japan via Korea, specifically the kingdom of Koguroy, whose ancient name in Japanese was "Koma". This gave rise to the name "komainu", literally "Korean dog". From the Heian period (794-1185) onwards, the two guardians were clearly differentiated. The one on the right, called "komainu", looks like a dog with an open mouth (agyo), while the one on the left, called "shishi", resembles a lion with a closed mouth (ungyo). Gradually, the name "komainu" came to be used for both guardians, and their appearance became standardized.