15th century
Height 16.7cm, Base diameter 8.3 x 9.0cm
Important Cultural Property
Nezu Museum
This famous guardian dog is said to have been made into an incense burner by Sen no Rikyu. There is an inscription on the box, “In possession of Rikyu” by Kobori Enshu.
According to Mr. Naoei Okuda, it is said to have passed from Tsuchiya Sagamimori to Matsudaira Fukonushi through the tool dealer Fushimiya. The head is a round, large, open a-shaped guardian dog, and both legs are thick and massive. The front of the guardians is decorated with a band, which extends from the shoulders to the chest. The ash glaze has a color tone similar to that of Kizeto glaze due to oxidative firing.
This guardian dog was once said to have been made in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), but recently it has been dated to the latter half of the Muromachi period (1333-1568), based on excavated artifacts from kiln sites that have been discovered, although only a few have been found. It was probably made around the time of Rikyu. In any case, it is the most representative of the few komainu that exist.
