I am finally going thru my DC pictures.

Four " Guardian of the West " figures

at the Smithsonian's Freer | Sackler

Museums of Asian Art

Japan

Kamakura period

I has always enjoyed Japanese carvings

especially netsuke and inros and I loved

these figures

"A thicket of summer grass

Is all that remains

Of the dreams of ancient warriors."

Basho

"As if to say the land will prosper

With its Otomos-the mighty clan

Of warriors bearing quivers---

The bright moon shines."

 from

1000 Poems from the Manyoshu