Pareja de estatuas japonesas de madera natural tallada de Fujin y Raijin, dioses del viento y del trueno, con caja inscrita, periodo Shōwa, 41 cm

Fujin with his great wind bag and Raijin with thunder implements raised overhead form one of the most recognizable protective pairings in Japanese art. Carved in pale, warm-grained wood at about 41 cm each, this matched pair is modeled fully in the round and arrives with an inscribed wooden storage box bearing a Showa-era notation.

The Piece

Fujin and Raijin, the legendary gods of wind and thunder, are rendered here with muscular bodies, animated expressions and remarkable sculptural movement. The warm natural wood has been left largely exposed, so that the flowing grain becomes part of the sculpture, shifting in pattern as the figures are viewed from different angles.

Fujin is recognizable at once by the enormous bag of winds carried across his shoulders, which the sculptor has turned into a sweeping arc framing the head and upper body. His kneeling posture feels momentarily suspended: one foot presses into the base while the torso seems ready to surge forward, the invisible force of moving air translated into wood, with a strongly modeled abdomen, hands and face set against flowing cloth. Raijin, with wild upward-sweeping hair, rises vertically with arms lifted as though about to unleash a crash of thunder, his expressive, almost theatrical face lending the pair a distinctly human character.

Wind and thunder arrive together in a storm, and Japanese artists have paired these figures for centuries; their imagery is embedded in Buddhist temple culture and in the wider visual tradition. Fearsome without being malevolent, they embody nature in motion, wind that nourishes crops or destroys buildings, thunder that brings rain and inspires fear. Displayed together, Fujin's horizontal bag and Raijin's rising arms and hair balance one another, and set a few centimeters apart they make an imposing symmetrical display while each remains complete on its own.

The carving includes deeply modeled faces with pronounced brows and open mouths, individually articulated fingers and toes, muscular torsos, backs and limbs, flowing scarves and garments, and carved atmospheric motifs across the cloud-like bases. The modeling continues around the backs and sides rather than treating the figures as frontal objects. At this scale the pair commands a console, large cabinet, tokonoma-inspired setting or study without the shipping and installation demands of monumental temple sculpture.

The accompanying wooden storage box bears handwritten Japanese calligraphy, including a visible Showa-era notation and further handwritten information associated with the object or its history, and suggests the pair was deliberately stored and preserved rather than treated as ordinary household decoration.

Details

• Subject: Fujin (wind god) and Raijin (thunder god)
• Era: Showa-era notation on the inscribed box
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Carved natural wood, pale and warm-toned with prominent grain
• Measurements: 41 cm H × 24 cm W × 20 cm D per figure (approx.) · 16.1 in high
• Included: Two sculptures; inscribed wooden storage box
• Display: Freestanding

Condition

• Vintage condition with naturally occurring variations in wood grain, tone and surface.
• Minor marks, small abrasions, age-related surface changes and other traces of handling or display may be present.
• Natural knots, grain variations and small irregularities inherent to carved wood are not manufacturing defects.
• Please review all photographs, including rear and side views.

Authenticity & Care

The inscribed storage box carries handwritten calligraphy with a visible Showa-era notation. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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