Condition Report on Komainu for Sheridan Wyoming
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PATRICK KIPPER Specializing in Bronze Patination/Conservation 138 12 th St. S.E. Loveland, CO 80537 USA CONDITION REPORT For the City of Sheridan, Wyoming On Komainu Lions Lion on right facing entrance to park Lion on left facing entrance to park (mouth open—“A” pronounced au) (mouth closed---“Um”) Project: Condition report for the City of Sheridan, Wyoming Art Title: Komainu (Japanese for Korean Dogs) Artist : Unknown Origin of Artwork: Kyoto, Japan Location : Kendrick Park, Sheridan, Wyoming Present Owner: Sheridan, Wyoming Medium: Bronze Alloy—approximately 90%Cu, 10%Sn, bolted together with 20 th century iron ally bolts (rough steel). Areas of cloisonné Date of Inspection and Assessment: June 8, 2012 Contracted Fine Arts Conservator: Patrick Kipper, Loveland, CO Contact Personnel: Fachon Wilson, Sheridan, Wy 2 Brief Provenance The above photos taken are those of two bronze Komainu (Japanese for Lion-dog) that have been at the main automobile entrance of Kendrick Park, in Sheridan, Wyoming since 1919, according to City library records as well as archives from The Sheridan Enterprise, Vol. XI, No. 184, dated May 7, 1919. These Komainu were donated by Sheridan citizen, Mr. Peter Neiter. These two bronzes had supposedly been at the entrance of the Japanese Pavilion at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (World’s Fair) held in San Francisco, California, although photo archives from this exposition do not show any photos of the entrance to this pavilion. Also, photos showing the main entrance to the 1915 World’s fair do not show any lion statuary. According to Mr Neiter however, they came from said pavilion (Taken from archival files/Sheridan Enterprise-May 7, 1919, page 1 &5). According to the Sheridan Enterprise listed above, said article mentioned that Mr. Neiter paid over $10,000 dollars for said pair, which would have been a substantial sum at that time in the early 20 th Century. According to further records from the Sheridan Library as well as The Sheridan Enterprise Archives, Mr. Neiter had attended this particular World’s Fair and had purchased these Lions once the fair had closed. Upon arrival to Sheridan, these Lions were placed on 3 ft moss rock and mortar plinths on either side of the automobile entrance to the above listed park where they remain to this day. Origin of the Sheridan Komainu Pair Many of the archival dissertations regarding these two above listed Komainu lions suggests that they originated in China and were from the Chinese Pavilion of the same 1915 World’s Fair. The style as well as the writing that is on said lions indicates that they were not from China nor were they within the confines of the 1915 World’s Fair Chinese Paviliion. From photo archives of that fair and the Chinese Pavilion, color plates show that there were two lions in front of the Chinese pavilion, but these were made of stone and were carved in the traditional Chinese style of Foo-lions. This classical style shows the lions to be much heftier in their build, plus both have mouths open. Another distinguishing mark of Chinese Foo Lions is that the female Lion will have her left front paw on the stomach of a small cub and the male lion will have a small ball resembling the earth and empire of China under his right front paw. The two Komainu lions do not have said lion cub nor the earth ball under their perspective feet but rather have the more classic Japanese and Korean style of all 4 feet touching the base. The classic Chinese designs also show the curls of the lion manes to be much different in style than those of the above listed Komainu, and the heads are pointed downward on Chinese Foo lions as opposed to the Japanese style, where the heads tend to face straight forward. The mouths of the classic Chinese lions show them in a snarl look with both lions having their mouths open, which is not the case with these two lions belonging to the City of Sheridan. The classic Chinese Foo lions were developed and used as spiritual protectors in front of royal palaces of the “Son of Heaven”(Chinese Emperor) during the early periods of the early Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) and later were also used in front of Imperial tombs, government offices, the homes of government officials, etc., for the same purpose of protecting and perpetuating wealth to those who were in possession of said lions (Taken from Wikipedia.com=Chinese guardian lions). Later on in history as Buddhism came into China during the Tang Dynasty, the Foo Lions were being placed in front of 3 Buddhist temples in order to help protect the temples from evil demons that roamed the earth. The religion of Buddhism came to Japan through commercial trade from Korea which had engulfed the Buddhist religion from China as it was exposed more to it’s culture through trade. When the idea of the Foo Lion came into Korea, people felt that they looked more like dogs than lions, so they became “lion dogs”, and were placed in the entrances of Buddhist temples and homes of wealthy merchants. From there as Buddhism spread to Japan in the 7 th Century AD, so did the Foo Lions, but the Japanese referred to them as Komainu—translated in English means Korean dog. Originally in Japan they were placed inside of temples and great homes, but later on in the 14 th Century, they were moved outside on either side of entrances into said temples and private estates. In Korea, the style of the original Foo Lion had changed once it was engulfed further into the Buddhist religion in that the mouths of the lions were changed— one with mouth open and one with mouth closed. This was to symbolize the Hindu/Buddhist meditation mantra “Aum”. The female lion is noted by it’s mouth open—thus the “A” or au sound—this corresponds to the Yin Yang concept where the Yin is feminine , and the male is noted for it’s mouth being closed and thus saying “um”—so together they represent the mantra “Aum”. Fig. 1. This photo shows Japanese Komainu on either side of entrance to Buddhist Temple, Kyoto, Japan. (From Wikipedia.com) A pair of Komainu, the “-a” on the right, the “-um” on the left (taken from Wikipedia.com=Chinese Guardian lions) Another finding that shows that these Komainu are Japanese in origin is the foundry mark that is found on the bronze base section behind the front feet and in front of the belly sections of said lions (please see fig.2 below) This translates in English from Japanese to read “The Greater Japan”, and “Kyoto”, which is the city where it was cast. However the casting company could not be translated except for that it was a casting company in Kyoto. 4 Fig.2 Foundry seal or mark that is on top of bronze base section in front of bellies of both Komainu. There is also a marking on the front of the foot of the male as shown in Fig. 3 below and this one is translated in English from Japanese as saying “Front”. This would have been a foundry mark for instruction on which way the lion should face. This is a common practice still used today in most modern art foundries, whereby, certain instructions on mounting and assembling are carved into said bronze metal surfaces. Fig. 3 shows instructions in Japanese as to the “Front” of the bronze base that should show the facing of the lion when mounted on said base. So as a result of the Japanese translations of the foundry marks as well as carved foundry instructions on the metal surfaces of these bronzes, the origins of these Komainu are Japanese and not Chinese as was originally believed. 5 Present Condition of Komainu These two Komainu are in wonderful shape considering that they have not been maintained since installation some 92 years ago (This information based on lack of local records indicating otherwise). The original patina is unknown but from close inspection of said patinas now, it looks as though the original may have been more of a dark traditional brownish hue and value, as can be seen in very minute areas of existing patina where brownish coloration tends to come up through the overlying Verde patina that is now mostly predominant. The Lions have cloisonné that has been applied to large tassel areas along the collars of said lions as well as cloisonné applied along inner collards on each side of the bronze base sections. (Please see Figs. 4 & 5 below) These Cloisonné areas are in good shape but have received minor damage due primarily to vandalism, at least on the tassel areas—These tassel areas look as though they have been hit by rocks, etc., which has chipped away some of the original blue enamel on said tassels. (please see Fig. 4.) Fig 4, shows collar tassels on lions that have been chipped from rock throwing, etc.. 6 Fig. 5 shows cloisonné work along base sections of both lions. Patterns are identical from lion to lion, which indicates that the bases were produced from one mold and workshop area and that the lions were attached upon completion of said cloisonné application, etc… The Cloisonné is almost intact on bronze base sections with the exception of minor vandalism noted in Fig. 6 which shows a bullet hole that has torn a hole through the bronze casting itself and has slightly disturbed the cloisonné surrounding said bullet hole.