Picture of the Week Nio Guardians at Nandai-mon Todai-ji Nara

These two fierce looking guardian statues protect the main entrance to Todai-ji in Nara, which is the 13th century Nandai-mon. The statues were carved in 1203 by the sculptor Unkei, and are more than 8 meters tall. They are considered some of the finest wooden statues in all of Japan, if not the world. They are really impressive and look like they could spring to life at any moment.