A pair of carved wood guardian dogs (koma inu)

KAMAKURA PERIOD (13TH-14TH CENTURY)

Details

A pair of carved wood guardian dogs (koma inu)
Kamakura period (13th-14th century)
Both expressively carved, the first with a curlicue mane and tail, the second with angular details and a short, pointed horn on the top of its head, the mouths carved to articulate the mantra syllables ah and um respectively; traces of pigment
13½in. (34.2cm.) high; 14in. (35.5cm.) long, each approx.
The wood box inscribed, signed and dated by Arakawa Toyozo, the previous owner. (2)

Provenance

Arakawa Toyozo (1894-1985), Gifu

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Lot Essay

The potter Arakawa Toyozo, a Living National Treasure, purchased this pair of koma inu in Kyoto in 1981, when he was 87. In an inscription he wrote on the box lid, he says that while the dealer thought they were Heian in date, he thinks they date from the Kamakura period. Arakawa is known to have been an avid collector of Japanese art. Koma inu, curly-haired mythological lion-dogs, serve as guardian figures in the interior of Shinto shrines.

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