Okinawan Shisa Guardian Pair — Stone, Sand & Resin, Open/Closed Mouth View Watchlist >
- Winning Bid: $30.00
- 12 Bid(s) View Bid History
- High Bidder: Yesdear1953
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Lot # C337
System ID # 26980141
Start Date
End Date
4 Watching
Okinawan Shisa Guardian Pair — Stone, Sand & Resin, Open/Closed Mouth
Shisa are the traditional guardian deities of Okinawa, believed to trace their origins to the Sphinx of Egypt and transmitted to the Ryukyu Kingdom via the Silk Road during the great navigation era of the 14th to 15th century. These figures are cast from a combination of stone and sand fixed with resin, finished with a coarse, sand-textured surface in cream and off-white and decorated with bold hand-painted swirls of deep red, amber, orange, and near-black. The male figure — mouth open — is said to draw in happiness and good fortune; the female, mouth closed, prevents it from escaping. Both postures here are the lying-down form, which in Okinawan tradition carries the meaning that things will go well. The shisa is also regarded as a symbol of marital harmony, and is believed not merely to repel negative forces but to purify them entirely.
Placement tradition holds that the male open-mouthed figure belongs on the right and the female on the left when facing the pair. Pointing them south is said to guard against fire; facing northeast protects against typhoons and water hazards.
CONDITION
Excellent. No damage to either figure; paint is vivid and fully intact across all decorated surfaces with no chips, cracks, or losses.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall: 5½" H × 6¼" W × 4" D (each)
- Weight: 1 lb 11 oz (each)
- Material: Stone and sand fixed with resin, hand-painted
- Posture: Lying down (recumbent)
- Sold as a matched pair
Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale
