Decorated Stone Railing

Tama-u-dun Mausoleum
Shuri, Okinawa

The decorated stone railing of Tama-u-dun mausoleum deserves a study all to itself. Lions sejant perch upon the uprights of the railing, whose panels display alternate friezes of floral motifs and animal riders, the latter perhaps representing spirits of the deceased. See the next page for a close-up.