Celestial Guardians and Lion Dog Protectors: Carved Wooden Sculptural Treasures from Japan's Heian and Kamakura Eras

 

Two Temple Guardians
Japan | c. 1300 - c. 1400
AK-RAK-2007-1-A; AK-RAK-2007-1-B
© Rijksmuseum

 
 

Celestial Guardians & Lion Dog Protectors

Carved Wooden Sculptural Treasures from
Japan's Heian and Kamakura Eras

Curated by Art of the Ancestors Editorial Team

 
 

In this feature, we celebrate a selection of superior Japanese guardian sculptures from prestigious museum collections outside of Japan. The constituent works in this group of prodigious creations derive from the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco, California), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts), Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, New York), The Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland, Ohio), The Freer Gallery of Art — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Washington, D.C), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York), and the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, The Netherlands).

 
 

Asian Art Museum
San Francisco, California

 
 

Dhritarashtra (Jikokuten), Guardian King of the East
持国天立像

Japan, Obara Temple, Nara
Approximately 950-1000
Heian period (794-1185)
Wood and pigments
B63S17+.a-.b

Virudhaka (Zochoten),
Guardian King of the South
増長天立像

Japan, Obara Temple, Nara
Approximately 950-1000
Heian period (794-1185)
Wood and pigments
B63S18+.a-.b

 
 
 

Standing Guardian King
天部立像

 
 

Japan
900-1000
Heian Period (794-1185)
Wood
B67S1

 
 
 

Standing Vajradhara (Nio)

Japan
1000-1100
Heian period (794-1185)
Japanese cypress (hinoki) wood
with traces of pigments
B62S23+

Standing Vajradhara (Nio)

Japan
1000-1100
Heian period (794-1185)
Japanese cypress (hinoki) wood
with traces of pigments
B62S24+

 
 
 

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

 
 

Bishamonten
Guardian of the North
毘沙門天立像

 

Japan
Late 11th century - 12th century
Late Heian period (794-1185)
Japanese cypress with polychromy and gold;
joined woodblock construction
11.11409.1-2

 
 
 

Tamonten,
Guardian of the North
多聞天立像

Japan
The latter half of the 9th century
Heian period (794-1185)
Japanese cypress with polychromy;
single woodblock construction
11.12

Zôchôten (Zôjôten),
Guardian of the South
増長天立像

Japan
The latter half of the 9th century
Heian period (794-1185)
Japanese cypress with polychromy;
single woodblock construction
11.11

 
 

Brooklyn Museum
Brookyln, New York

 
 

Pair of Koma-Inu

 
 

Japan
Early 13th century
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Hinoki (cypress wood) with traces of pigment
85.171.1; 85.171.2

 
 
 

Head of a Shitennō

 

Japan
13th century
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Hinoki wood with lacquer on
cloth, pigment, rock crystal, metal
86.21

 
 
 

Pair of Mythical Lions

 
 

Japan
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Wood relief panels
21.239.1-.2

 
 

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, Ohio

 
 

Bishamonten
Guardian King of the North
毘沙門天像

 
 

Japan
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Wood with gold polychromy
1959.135

 
 
 
 
 

Pair of Guardian Kings (Nio)

 
 
 
 

Japan
1200s
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Chestnut and cypress wood
1972.158

 
 
 

Guardian Figure

 
 

Japan
1000s
Heian period (794-1185)
Wood with polychromy and kirikane (cut-gold)
1969.126

 
 
 

Pair of Koma-Inu

 
 
 
 

Japan
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Wood with traces of polychromy
1924.351

 
 
 

Zaō Gongen
蔵王権現像

 
 

Japan
1200s
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Wood
1973.105

 
 

The Freer Gallery of Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Washington, D.C

 
 

Pair of Guardian Figures

 
 
 

Japan
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Wood (Cryptomeria Japonica)
F1949.20; F1949.21

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, New York

 
 

Pair of Guardian Lion-Dogs
狛犬像

 
 
 

Japan
Mid-13th century
Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Japanese cypress with lacquer, gold leaf, and color
2015.300.257a, b

 
 

Two of the Four Heavenly Kings
四天王像の内

 

Japan
12th century
Heian period (794–1185)
Wood with traces of color
1975.268.164

Japan
12th century
Heian period (794–1185)
Wood with traces of color
1975.268.165

 
 
 

Fudō Myōō (Achala-vidyārāja)
不動明王像

 
 
 

Japan
12th century
Heian period (794–1185)
Joined-woodblock construction with traces of color and cut-gold
1975.268.163

 

Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Two Temple Guardians

 

Japan
c. 1300 - c. 1400
Wood
AK-RAK-2007-1-A

Japan
c. 1300 - c. 1400
Wood
AK-RAK-2007-1-B

 
 
 

All artworks and images presented in this feature are the property of Asian Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Brooklyn Museum, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Freer Gallery of Art — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Rijksmuseum.