Antique netsuke Shishi dog on tomb with inlays from EDO

Description: Netsuke of Shishi guardian dog, seating on tomb.A mid 19th century Japanese netsuke from Edo period. In carved and wood portraying Shishi dog holding a bal in his mouth. Seating on tomb entrance to the temple.The Lion-dogThe lion-dog (shishi or jishi) came to Japan with Buddhism, either from China or from Korea in the 7th or 8th century. The Japanese lion-dog has some elements of the koma-inu, the Korean dog, and of the kara-shishi, apparently derived from the Chinese foo dog.There are no lions in Japan, China, or Korea. The first artworks depicting lions were brought to China in the Han era (ca. 208 BCE - 221 CE). The lion is regarded in China as the defender of justice and the guardian of sacred buildings, a symbol of power and success, nobility and strength. Its image is woven into the robes of the aristocracy. In Korea they believed that the skin of the koma-inu's head is stronger than any helmet. In Japan, the shishi is esteemed as a noble creature. A pair of lion-dogs usually guards the entrance to a Shinto or Buddhist temple, and Buddhist deities are often depicted riding on them. Sometimes a pair of lion-dogs is also placed beside a tomb.In art, the shishi usually appear in pairs, male and female. In the Nara period (710-794) these were two lions. In the Heian era (794-1185) they began to appear as a lion and a lion-dog. In early Japanese depictions, the shishi has a horn on his head. The lion does not. The lion's maw gapes, that of the lion-dog is closed.The open maw symbolizes the sound "ah", the first Sanskrit letter and the first letter in the Japanese kana script. The closed maw signifies the sound "n" - the last Sanskrit letter and the last kana letter. Together, they symbolize beginning and end, life and death, existence and all it contains. According to ancient Indian belief, the world was created with the first sound, and will be completed with the last. There are those who think that the open jaws are intended to drive away demons, and the closed mouth to shelter good spirits. In the Kamakura era (1185-1333) they stopped portraying the shishi with a horn, but the male is often depicted in art with his paw resting on a ball. This ball is a sacred Buddhist jewel (tama) representing the wisdom that illuminates the darkness of ignorance, and has the power to grant wishes.In Japanese fables, the shishi is described as a playful creature. Female lion-dogs are depicted with their puppies, but even though they are known as protectors of children, there is a story about their custom of throwing the young shishi off a high cliff to test their courage and strength (saka otoshi shishi).At the Japanese New Year they dance the shishi-mai, the lion-dog dance, during festivals and at the Shinto shrines. The dancers visit the local households in order to chase away evil spirits and diseases. They wear a shishi-gashira - a head covering shaped like a lion-dog. Wearing this mask they ‘bite' the family members, to ensure luck and good health.The lion dance apparently reached Japan during or just before the8th century, brought by envoys sent to China. The dance is also a kind of festival in Japan, a prayer for peace and plenty, a good harvest and good health. There are still about nine thousand different versions of the shishi-mai danced in the streets of Japan every year. According to tradition, a male shishi mask is placed by a newborn boy to protect him from evil spirits and misfortune, and there are still craftsmen producing such masks today. Some of them have horns, others look more like dogs or deer or lions.Material: Wood Signed: UnsignedAge: Edo periodDimensions: 4 cm x 2.5 cm Will review any offer Free shipping for any additional item you won !!! Authenticity and condition are guaranteed with all of items I'm selling. View more great items

Price: 450 USD

Location: Holy Land

End Time: 2023-11-12T13:28:45.000Z

Shipping Cost: 35.4 USD