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Mingei Japanese Wooden Nio Temple Guard, ca. 1850 browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Folk Art: Pre 1900: item # 604935 Please refer to our stock # Ichi 3388 when inquiring.
Ichiban Japanese & Oriental Antiques Post Office Box 395 Marion, CT 06444-0395 203.272.7392 Guest Book $1,095.00 |
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| A very strong and superbly carved wooden figure of a Nio - the temple guard who tradionally guards the gates of a Buddhist temple. The piece measures 13" high by 6" wide by 3" deep and is in excellent condition. Wonderfully carved details in the facial expression, the musculature and the overall presence of the Nio. We date the piece to the late Edo period, circa 1850. It came from a major collection of Japanese antiques in Victoria Island, BC, Canada. The word Nio literally means Benevolent kings and are two wrath-filled and muscular guardians of the Buddha, standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in Japan under the appearance of frightening wrestler-like statues. According to Japanese tradition, these guardians, called Shukongoshin and Kongorikishi, travelled with the historical Buddha to protect him. Shukongoshin, also called Agyo, is a symbol of overt violence - this is the Nio who bares his teeth. His mouth is depicted as being in the shape necessary to form the "ah" sound, leading to his alternate name, "Agyo". He is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani, protector deity of the Buddha. | |||||||||||||
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