Guardian lion (shishi), one of a set of two

A lion and an imaginary “lion-dog” with one horn make up a pair of sacred guardians often placed around a gate or on a balcony at Japanese Buddhist temples and shrines. The creature here is the lion; the lion-dog from this pair is in the case located across the entryway to your left.

Although the Japanese had not seen lions, they learned of them early in the eighth century from Indian and Chinese works of art. They admired the lion’s fierce spirit, physical strength, and beauty. According to tradition, the guardian lion opens its mouth as if saying “ah,” and the guardian dog closes its mouth as if saying “um.” Sometimes they are affectionately called the “ah” lion and “um” dog.