Heisei Era figure
- Gallery: Room 94
- Maker: Yazaemon VII
- Culture: Heisei Era
- Made in: Arita
- Date: 2015
- Object type: figure
- Materials: porcelain
- Museum number: 2015,3046.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is a striking porcelain figure titled "色絵狛犬," meaning "彩色狛犬" or colorfully decorated koma-inu. These lion dogs are part of a pair and are painted in striking blue, gold, and black enamels on delicate porcelain.
Koma-inu are traditional guardian figures often placed at shrine entrances to protect sacred spaces. You’ll notice the open and closed mouths—this detail reflects a connection to the Sanskrit alphabet’s first and final syllables, symbolizing a full cycle.
Created in 2015 in Arita, this piece was designed and painted by artist Komatsu Miwa and handcrafted by Yazaemon VII at the famous Yazaemon kiln. The pair was part of the “Edo Garden” displayed at the Chelsea Flower Garden Show, where they won a Gold Prize.
See it in person
Heisei Era figure is on display in Room 94 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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