japaneseaesthetics:Komainu. about 1450 (15th century), Japan. cypress wood, gold lacquer
japaneseaesthetics:Komainu. about 1450 (15th century), Japan. cypress wood, gold lacquer (Urushi), and crystal. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore P. Van Vorhees Art Fund, IMAKomainu are lion-like guardian dogs usually placed at the entrances to temples and shrines. Koma is the Japanese name for Koguryo, an ancient Korean kingdom, and inu means dog. This indicates that the motif may have come to Japan from China via Korea. Technically, only an animal with the horned head and closed mouth is called komainu. This distinction was lost over time. Text by IMA -- source link