Shisa (シーサー) (Okinawan: siisaa) (shishi or shisaa) is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology.
People place pairs of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to
their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some evils. When
in pairs, the left shisa traditionally has a closed mouth, the right
one an open mouth.[1] The open mouth wards off evil spirits, and the closed mouth keeps good spirits in.
Komainu (狛犬・胡麻犬), often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures either guarding the entrance or the inner shrine of many Japanese Shinto shrines or kept inside the inner shrine itself, where they are not visible to the public. The first type, born during the Edo period, is called sandō komainu (参道狛犬 visiting road Korean dogs), the second and much older type jinnai komainu (陣内狛犬 shrine inside komainu).[1] They can sometimes be found also at Buddhist temples, nobility residences or even private homes. The komainu is also one of the pieces of a shōgi (Japanese chess) board.
The shisa, like the komainu (lion dogs), are a variation of the guardian lions ("fu dogs") from China.[5]
No comments:
Post a Comment