The Guardian's Dance — Japanese Ceremonial Silk Wall Tapestry, Karajishi Lion in Crimson and Gold

The guardian of the threshold. Painted on crimson silk, once.

At a glance: A hand-painted obi on crimson silk, the karajishi guardian lion among peonies in gold thread, mounted between hardwood bars at about 80 × 34 cm. One exists. Japanese ceremonial silk, finished at the Renaras atelier, Amsterdam; ships worldwide.

The Guardian's Dance is mounted from a hand-painted Japanese ceremonial silk obi of commanding visual presence. The ground is dyed in deep Kurenai (紅) crimson — the colour of protective power in Japanese ritual tradition, the red of shrine gates, of lacquered temple doors, of ceremonial objects placed at the threshold between the human world and what lies beyond it. Against this charged ground, the Karajishi (唐獅子) — the Chinese guardian lion, Japan's most formidable protective motif — has been rendered by a Japanese painter in gold metallic thread amongst cascading Botan (牡丹) peony blooms in vermilion, teal, and gold. The pairing of Karajishi and Botan is one of the most revered in the Japanese decorative tradition: the lion at play amongst the king of flowers, protective power rendered as gentle strength.

The Renaras atelier cut a length from the painted obi, redesigned the composition for vertical wall format, and lined the back with undyed support cloth to support the gold thread structure. The piece is mounted between handmade hardwood bars at the top and bottom, finished with a leather hanging cord, and supplied ready to hang. The bars are part of the work, not a separate acquisition. The painted surface is preserved entirely.

The Guardian's Dance is the most symbolically charged piece in the collection. It belongs in a room where its weight will be honoured — the entrance hall of a private residence, the threshold of a hospitality space, a library or principal living room. The crimson and gold pair with dark lacquer, aged brass, walnut, charcoal plaster, and deep forest green. This is the piece that guests notice first and ask about last.

Renaras: existing Japanese ceremonial silk, preserved at gallery scale and brought into rooms where it can be seen.

Each tapestry arrives with its own passport from the atelier — a handmade record of the obi's first life, the composition that was cut from it, the lining and mounting it received, signed and dated in Amsterdam.

Each tapestry arrives complete with its mounting hardware. For private viewings and hospitality enquiries, contact the atelier.

One silk. One story. One piece. Never repeated.