No. 2371. CATALOGUE OF BUDDHIST ART— CASANOWICZ 341 



301-2. Pair of mythical lions. — Bronze. Lions of metal or stone, 

 sometimes of colossal size, are often placed at the entrance of Bud- 

 dhist temples as protectors from evil spirits. They are also emble- 

 matic of Buddha who bears the epithet Sakyasimha, "the lion of the 

 Sakya race. " Length, 2 inches. Kobe, Japan. (Cat. Nos. 15483 1- 

 154832, U.S.N.M.) 



303. Mythical lion (singto). — Wood, red lacquered. Height, 6 

 inches. Laos, Further India. (Cat. No. 217578, U.S.N.M.) 



304-5. Pair of Iririns (Chinese, ~kilin). — Wood, black lacquered 

 and gilt. Standing on lacquered bases. For a description of the 

 mythical kirin see above under No. 254. Height, 7f inches. Japan. 

 (Cat. No. 154296, U.S.N.M.) 



306. Mythical animal, dog Fo (?) . — Wood, painted brown with 

 gray spots, lacquered and gilt. Height, 27 inches; length, 32 inches. 

 China or Japan. (Cat. No. 313625, U.S.N.M.) 



The following small collection of bronze animal figurines from Laos 

 may be votives or weights : 



307. Bronze dog. — Height, f of an inch. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217551, U.S.N.M.) 



308. Bronze monkey. — Height, f of an inch. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217552, U.S.N.M.) 



309. Bronze zebu, standing on base. — Height, If inches. Laos, 

 Further India. (Cat. No. 217547, U.S.N.M.) 



310. Bronze zebu, couchani. — Height, three-fourths of an inch. 

 Laos, Further India. (Cat, No. 217548, U.S.N.M.) 



311. Bronze cow (?). — Height, three-fourths of an inch. Laos, 

 Further India. (Cat. No. 217549, U.S.N.M.) 



312. Bronze horse. — Height, seven-eighths of an inch. Laos, 

 Further India. (Cat. No. 217550, U.S.N.M.) 



313. Bronze bear, on base. — Height, 1 inch. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217546, U.S.N.M.) 



314-322. Nine griffins, or dragons, on bases. — Bronze. Called by 

 the Laos ''noble animals," which peacefully roam through the splen- 

 did gardens of the gods. Height, f to 3^ inches. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. Nos. 217537-217545, U.S.N.M.) 



323. Demon-queller (Chinese, Chung Rw'ei; Japanese, Sholci. — 

 Made oi wood; carved and painted. On his head in the upstanding 

 hair is perched a dragon; at his feet is a crouching demon, and over 

 the belt is carved the mask of a. monster. The demon queller is in 

 Chinese mythology supposed to be a ghostly protector of the Emperor 

 Ming Hwang (713-762 A. D.). He is usually represented as a trucu- 

 lent giant, clad in official garb and armed with a two-edged sword. 

 He is sometimes shown as riding upon a lion, but more commonly 

 is engaged in punishing the pigmy demons. The subject forms one 

 of the most frequent inspirations of the Japanese artist, and appears 



