Koma-inu: Guardian Lion-Dog, 1185-1333. Placed at the entrance to shrines and temples in Japan, lion-like guardian figures warded off evil spirits. These lion-dogs are distinguishable by their faces: one looks fierce, mouth closed, while the other seems mid-roar, mouth agape. The idea of guardian-lions likely came to Japan from China via Korea, giving rise to the name koma-inu meaning "Korean ;

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Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: 1185-1333, art, cleveland, heritage, japan, kamakura, museum, period, polychromy, sculpture, traces, unknown, wood