Nio or Kongorikish are two wrath-filled and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asia in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala (protectors of the Buddhist religion) manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapaṇi, the oldest and most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon.

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Keywords: 13th, art, arts, asia, asian, bodhisattva, buddhism, buddhist, carving, century, deities, deity, dharmapala, japan, japanese, kongorikishi, kyoto, mask, nio, religion, vajrapani, wood, wooden