Kaga 手工雕刻木狮头 — 金牙守护者 - 木, 漆 - 知田清雲 Chida Seiun（1962-） - 日本 - 1900-2000

Item Description
知田清雲 Chida Seiun（1962-） — 加賀木雕獅子頭（獅子頭 Shishi-gashira）
この magnificent Kaga Shishi-gashira (lion head) is a masterwork of Japanese traditional woodcarving from the celebrated Chida Workshop (Chida Koubou) in Ishikawa Prefecture. Carved from paulownia (kiri) wood harvested from the foothills of the sacred Mount Hakusan, this lion head exemplifies the 400-year-old tradition of Kaga lion dance craftsmanship originating with the grand celebratory procession when Lord Maeda Toshiie, the first lord of the Kaga Domain, entered Kanazawa Castle in 1583.
The piece displays remarkable sculptural detail throughout: the face is powerfully carved with deeply set black-pupiled eyes mounted on gleaming gold-lacquered eye sockets, a pair of boldly hollowed red-lacquered nostrils, and richly flowing white and brown hair. The wide-open mouth reveals rows of bold gold-lacquered teeth framed by vivid red-lacquered lips, evoking the lion's legendary power to ward off evil and consume misfortune. A traditional wooden guardian sword (mamori-katana) is held between the jaws — a classic Kaga lion iconography symbolizing protection against malevolent forces. The crown bears a striking gold-lacquered ornamental crest (tama). The interior is finished in glossy red lacquer, fitted with a wooden crossbar frame for performance use.
The wooden tomobako (original artist's box) bears the title "加賀木彫 獅子頭" (Kaga Kibori Shishi-gashira) inscribed in bold brushwork, with the artist's signature 清雲 and seal, along with a red certification stamp reading 本金箔押 (genuine gold leaf applied). A folded pamphlet from the Kaga Ningyo Kozan manufacturer is included, providing historical context on this revered craft tradition.
The Kaga Shishi-gashira is treasured as a symbol of good fortune and protection, traditionally displayed in the tokonoma (alcove) or at the entrance of homes and establishments during New Year celebrations, festivals, and auspicious occasions.

Size
Height: 19 cm
Width: 35.5 cm
Depth: 15.5 cm

Weight
593 g

Condition
The piece is in good overall condition with some minor age-related wear, including slight paint scuffs on the gold-lacquered crest and minor surface soiling consistent with the vintage of the work; the carving, lacquer, hair, and wooden sword are all intact.

Artist Profile
知田清雲 Chida Seiun（1962-）
Chida Seiun (born 1962 in Tsurugi, Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture) is the second-generation master craftsman of Chida Koubou, the sole specialist lion-head workshop in Ishikawa Prefecture. He apprenticed under master sculptor Ima Hideo in Kanazawa before training alongside his father, the first-generation Seiun, to inherit the centuries-old tradition of Kaga lion-head carving. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Seiun has created and restored more than 500 lion heads for shrines, communities, and institutions across Japan, including major commissions at Tsukiji Namiyoke Inari Shrine in Tokyo, Shuri Castle in Okinawa, and Kanazawa's Hokuriku Shinkansen station. He has also demonstrated his craft before the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan at the National Tree-Planting Festival. Chida Koubou's lion heads are carved entirely by hand from paulownia logs sourced from the foothills of Mount Hakusan, with every stage — from rough carving to polychrome painting and gold-leaf application — executed by hand. Seiun is widely regarded as one of the foremost living practitioners of Kaga lion-head carving, a tradition now recognized as a rare and precious intangible folk craft.

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