Kutani Komainu

Second-hand product (only one in stock), very good condition.
Dimensions: 17 cm (height) x 17 cm (length) x 9 cm (width) (6.7 in x 6.7 in x 3.5 in)
Made in Kutani porcelain in Japan.

This beautiful statue is a Kutani porcelain which represent a Komainu playing with a Temari ball. 

Komainu is a lion-like creature and usually, it is guarding the entrance of the Shinto Shrines by warding off evil spirits. very often there are two Komainu, one with the mouth open ("a" sound) and the other one with the mouth closed ("um" sound). Together they form "aum", a sacred syllabe in several religions which means the beginning and the end of all things. In the hinduism philosophy it is the original sound, essential from which the universe might have been built.

Kutani porcelains or Kutani-yaki is a porcelain type developped in the Ishikawa region around the 17th century. We can easily identify this type thanks to its essential colors: green, blue, yellow, purple and red.

We can tell the difference between a male or female Komainu. The females have a cub in front of their feet whereas the males have a Temari ball to play with. 

Traditionally, the Temari is a children's toy constructed from the remnants of old Kimono.