Lion (Mañjuśrī's Pedestal) 獅子（文殊菩薩像台座）しし（もんじゅぼさつぞうだいざ）

Description

This lion was once the mount of the bodhisattva Monju (Skt. Mañjuśrī); one sees the base of the deity’s pedestal on the saddle. There are very few examples of such lions with closed mouths who look straight out. The statue is dated to the eleventh century on the basis of such features as its large, round bulging eyes, its raised ears at the top of its head, and its broad and puffed chest.

This lion was originally employed as the animal pedestal for a statue of Monju Bosatsu (Skt. Mañjuśrī). It was said to be come from Onjō-ji Temple in Shiga Prefecture. The body was painted with blue, the mane was painted with green and the belly was painted with red. The waist was interpreted in a very high, exaggerated position, however muscles, nails and the framework were realistically expressed.

{br=>[[]], content=>[This statue of a lion was originally kept in Onjō-ji temple in Shiga prefecture. There are holes in its back where a lotus seat and a shikinasu sheet used to be attached. Originally, a statue of Monju-bosatsu (Mañjuśrī) was riding on the back of this lion. It is conceivable that Monju-bosatsu on the lion's back was accompanied by attendants, such as Zenzai-dōji (Sudhana Śreṣṭhidāraka), Udennō (King Udayana), Butsudahari Sanzō (Buddhapāli Tri-piṭaka) and Saishō-rōjin. This type of Monju with four accompanying attendants was worshipped as \Tokai Monju\ (Mañjuśrī who is crossing the ocean) during the days when it was made., The material of this statue is thought to be hinoki (Japanese cypress). The whole body of this lion is carved from a single block of wood. The color on the surface has not come off nor faded. The lion is holding its head upright and is looking forward instead of turning its head to the side. The head is relatively small. Considering of these aspects, by and large, it is a lion made in a classic style.]}

{br=>[[], [], [], []], i=>[koma-inu], content=>[Shinra Zenshindō Shrine at Onjōji Temple in Shiga Prefecture was reportedly the former owner of this statue. Originally, it presumably had a figure of the bodhisattva Monju (Skt. Mañjuśrī) mounted on its back, as indicated by the remaining saddle cloth and lotus pedestal., Three pieces of Japanese torreya were assembled to make the lion, with a separate piece attached as the tail. The interior was not hollowed out. , Stylistically, the lion has round, wide-open eyes, a closed mouth with fangs on either side, and visible depictions of gums in its mouth. The animal faces forward with its four legs planted on the ground and has a wavy mane flowing along its body. The back is high, and the figure has an impressive fullness of form. The rendering of the musculoskeletal structure in the legs and accompanying claws is surprisingly realistic. In an adapted form of horse tack, the lion wears a girth around its stomach, a martingale across its chest, and a crupper around the back from which round and flower-bud-shaped ornaments are hung., Both the head and body are painted blue, and the mane and fur are green. The underbelly is pink. The saddle cloth is painted in gold, and the lotus flower is strikingly painted in red, blue, green, and white with accents in cut gold leaf. The girth, martingale, and crupper have gold leaf pressed on them., The sculpture’s similarity to a lion and guardian dog (, ) at Yakushiji Temple in Nara that were made in Kanji 1 (1087) as well as a lion at Tōji Temple in Kyoto made in the latter half of the 10th century suggests it dates to the 11th century. These similarities include being made of Japanese torreya in an early construction style, the large, sphere-like eyes, the simplified rendering of the facial structure, and the broad, rounded chest.]}