Standing Guardian Deities (Kongō Rikishi)

Deity: Celestial Generals
Date / Period: Original Japanese: 鎌倉時代・13世紀 AI Translation: Kamakura period, 13th century
Institution: Kyoto National Museum
Collection: KNM Collection Database
Accession Number: C甲20
Source: ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan, Kyoto National Museum, C甲20.

Description

Muscular temple guardian figures such as these are known as Kongō Rikishi or Niō. One has his mouth open (a) and the other closed (hūm) to represent the first and last letters of the Sanskrit alphabet and encapsulate the entire universe. Their powerful bodies and dramatic poses exemplify sculptural trends of the Kamakura period (1185–1333).