Kamakura period
A pair of Kongo Rikishi serve as guardians against the enemies of Buddhism, and their statues are typically placed at the gate near a temple entrance.
The first guardian’s mouth is open and rendered to form the sound “a”, while the other statue’s mouth is closed to form the sound “un”. The combination of these two sounds is referred to as “a-un”, and is used in the Japanese expression “a-un no kokyu (a-un breathing)”, indicating the perfectly synchronized minds of two persons committing one act.
These imposing statues realistically represent muscular and forceful physical beauty.
