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