ah haha.it is a Shisa, it's on entry to shrines, usually the shisa on the left has it's mouth open and the shisa on the right has it's mouth closed, so I've got it wrong (there is an accompanying drawing), oh well eh? Together they ward off bad spirits. The Shisa with a closed mouth is supposed to keep out the bad spirit whilst the open mouth is supposed to communicate good feeling.
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GrandmaOfShoes,
Thu 6 Sep 2012, 15:48,
archived)
I see it now!Thanks for my bit of education in the afternoon :)
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Shlvng,
Thu 6 Sep 2012, 15:59,
archived)