Nio Samurai Nio Guardian Figures

Buddhism began in India, and then became part of Chinese culture. Around 550 A.D. Buddhism was introduced into Japan through Korea. This non-native religion became an important part of Japanese culture during the Nara period (710-790 A. D.), especially among the aristocracy.

Nio
Kongorikishi was the first of the heavenly kings, called Nio. The Nio were originally Hindu gods in India, who were adopted by the Japanese into the Buddhist pantheon. The Nio, also called Kongo, all came to be considered aggressive guardian deities in the tradition of Kongorikishi. Within the generally pacifist traditions of Buddhism, stories of Nio guardians like Kongorikishi justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil.

Samurai
Widespread discontent with the dictatorship of the Taira (tie-RAH) clan in Kyoto (key-OH-toe) caused an enormous uprising in 1180. Five years of brutal civil war ensued, ending when the Minamoto clan overthrew the Taira. The Minamoto handed control of the new government to a group of loyal warriors, called samurai (SAM-oo-rye). The samurai unified their forces under a code known as the "way of the warrior" which valued bravery, honor, and strength.

In art, the luxurious tastes and refinement of the Kyoto nobility were replaced by the directness and simplicity of the samurai. The dynamic spirit of the age demanded art that was similarly big and brash. The civil war had severely damaged many temples, and artists set about rebuilding, restoring, and replacing lost sculptures. Among the many sculptures produced were pairs of IDEALIZED but NATURALISTIC large Nio guardian figures that stood outside Buddhist temple complexes.

Nio Guardian Figures
These Nio guardian figures named Misshaku (mish-AH-koo) Kongo (congo) and Naeren (NAY-ren) Kongo (congo) represent the use of overt power and latent power, respectively. They display the energy and realism characteristic of late 14th-century Japanese sculpture.¹

Standing on banks of fluffy clouds, the guardians are enormously muscled half-nude figures. Their features have been skillfully exaggerated by an artist well versed in the human form. Bulging muscles in their huge chests and arms communicate power even at a great distance. This exaggerated REALISM continues in the Nios' popping veins, extended jaws, and even in their delicate fingernails and toenails. The guardians' hair, pulled tightly into topknots, adds to their imposing height.

Roll over the image to see naturalistic details from the Nio Guardian Figures		Detail showing decorative features from the Nio Guardian Figures

For all of their power, the Nio are also decorative. Their flower-shaped nipples and rippled rib cages form an elegant PATTERN. The dark and light areas on the sculptures are traces of GESSO and black LACQUER that once covered their surfaces. Flesh-colored pigments covered portions of the lacquer.

The Nio exhibit tremendous energy. Their arms, legs, and clublike feet dramatically jut into space, and drapery swirls violently around them. The Nio's bulging eyes, furrowed brows, flaring nostrils, and distorted grimaces bring their faces to life.

Conceived as a pair, the Nio complement each other. Misshaku Kongo, representing power in action, bares his teeth and raises his fist in action, while Naeren Kongo, representing potential might, holds his mouth tightly closed and waits with both arms tensed but lowered.

Each Nio figure represents a particular cosmic sound. Misshaku Kongo's open mouth sounds out "ah," meaning birth. Naeren Kongo sounds "om," meaning death. Thus, in two cosmic sounds life is encapsulated at a temple doorway, reminding viewers that life is fleeting and that good karma is necessary to avoid rebirth on the Wheel of Life.²

Detail of Misshaku Kongo making the cosmic sound "ah" from the Nio Guardian Figures		Detail of Naeren Kongo's making the cosmic sound "om" from the Nio Guardian Figures

¹ The Nio guardians were created by a joined woodblock carving technique called yosegi. Each is created from many pieces of wood pegged together. This allowed the artists to create monumental figures with dynamic poses. The seams and cracks were covered with fabric or paper. The surface was then covered with layers of gesso, (baked seashells and water) and black lacquer. Details such as the pupils of the eyes and the decorative pattern on the drapery were also painted. Return to Text
² Buddhists believe that everyone is subject to what they call the Wheel of Life, that is, that all souls are doomed to be reincarnated endlessly unless they gather enough good karma (good deeds, good spirituality) to become enlightened, and able to enter nirvana (extinction of the self). Even if one cannot earn enough good karma to become enlightened, good or bad karma decides what one's next life will be like. Return to Text