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Lot Essay
Pairs of guardian lion-like figures have long stood at the entrances of temples and shrines, marking the threshold between the sacred realm and the outside world. Their role was protective: to ward off evil forces and prevent impurity from entering holy spaces. Similar guardian figures also appeared in courtly settings and at important ceremonies, where they served as symbols of authority, dignity, and protection.
These figures are often identified either as lions or as komainu. Traditionally, some scholars distinguish the two by the presence or absence of a horn. However, from the Kamakura period onward, it became increasingly common for neither figure in a pair to bear a horn, making the distinction less fixed in later examples. Whether described as lions, karashishi, or komainu, they are usually conceived as a pair consisting of two complementary types: the a-type, with its mouth open, and the un-type, with its mouth closed. The syllables “a” and “un” derive from Sanskrit and symbolize the beginning and the end of all things.
The lion as an image of power has ancient origins. Early depictions appeared in the Tigris–Euphrates region around 3000 BCE, where the animal was associated with strength and rulership. By around 1500 BCE, lion figures were placed near city gates in the Middle East and Egypt, projecting the authority of kings and leaders. The image later traveled along the Silk Road to China during the Han dynasty, where it merged with local mythical beasts to form the Chinese-style lion, known in Japan as karashishi. Through diplomatic and Buddhist exchange with China, pairs of such guardian lions were introduced to Japan.
In the present lot, the a-type figure plays with a temari ball, an auspicious motif frequently associated with karashishi in Japanese painting. For a closely comparable pair, see the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, F2011.16.2.a-b (https://searchcollection.asianart.org/objects/19138/guardian-lion?ctx=3a0b3b38b2f256000927f4966f1e340788895995&idx=0).
These figures are often identified either as lions or as komainu. Traditionally, some scholars distinguish the two by the presence or absence of a horn. However, from the Kamakura period onward, it became increasingly common for neither figure in a pair to bear a horn, making the distinction less fixed in later examples. Whether described as lions, karashishi, or komainu, they are usually conceived as a pair consisting of two complementary types: the a-type, with its mouth open, and the un-type, with its mouth closed. The syllables “a” and “un” derive from Sanskrit and symbolize the beginning and the end of all things.
The lion as an image of power has ancient origins. Early depictions appeared in the Tigris–Euphrates region around 3000 BCE, where the animal was associated with strength and rulership. By around 1500 BCE, lion figures were placed near city gates in the Middle East and Egypt, projecting the authority of kings and leaders. The image later traveled along the Silk Road to China during the Han dynasty, where it merged with local mythical beasts to form the Chinese-style lion, known in Japan as karashishi. Through diplomatic and Buddhist exchange with China, pairs of such guardian lions were introduced to Japan.
In the present lot, the a-type figure plays with a temari ball, an auspicious motif frequently associated with karashishi in Japanese painting. For a closely comparable pair, see the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, F2011.16.2.a-b (https://searchcollection.asianart.org/objects/19138/guardian-lion?ctx=3a0b3b38b2f256000927f4966f1e340788895995&idx=0).