Japanese bronze Niō mask - Agyo brute force - KONGO RIKISHI

Japanese bronze Niō mask - Agyo brute force - KONGO RIKISHI

The Niō also called Kongō-rikishi are two Japanese guardian deities of the temples in Japan. They are installed on each side of a main entrance preventing demons or evil spirits from entering the premises.

Misshaku Kongō (密 迹 金剛), also called Agyō (阿 形) "who forms the A", his mouth open, is the symbol of increased violence, he wields the tokkosho (独 鈷 杵) vajra (diamond rod, lightning stick) at a point, or solar symbol) and shows the teeth.
His wide open mouth is portrayed as having the necessary shape to emit the Ah sound, which corresponds to his other name of Agyō. It usually stands to the right of the entrance, its color is lighter, usually red.