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Nio - Mythological Buddhist Figure Art Print

$35USD $28USD Sale
New Arrival
About the Wall Art

Fine Art Prints

Wall Art Info

Forget cheap reproductions and printable posters. Only the best will do.

Velvety matte fine art paper (warm white, archival-grade, 200gsm) with bold, vibrant, non-toxic pigment inks. High-definition print lab techniques give you sharper details, deeper saturation and true-to-life tones. While the matte surface keeps glare down and archival-grade materials mean the colors you fall for stay vivid for decades.

Framed Fine Art Prints

Wall Art Info

Your print arrives framed and ready to hang, so it goes straight from the box to your wall.

Chevron cut wooden frames make a timeless statement in three distinctive colors: black, white and natural. Each frame is made of sustainably sourced FSC® certified knotless pine. And your artwork is protected behind ultra-clear perspex glaze that’s lighter than glass and shatter-resistant.

Float Framed Canvas Prints

Wall Art Info

Luscious artist-grade cotton canvas, hand-stretched and finely textured, gives every detail depth and precision, catching light and color with striking clarity. While a precisely measured floating frame leaves a slim gap around the canvas, so it seems to hover with a sleek, gallery-worthy effect. Finished with your choice of frame color — black, white or natural — made from sustainably sourced FSC® certified knotless pine.

Giclée Printing

Wall Art Info

Forget 4 color CMYK. Giclée layers up to 12 — alive with deeper shadows, richer highlights and multidimensional contrasts. Pro-lab printing process helps art stay bold & breathtaking for up to 100 years. And the neo-pigment, water-based inks are 100% non-hazardous and toxin-free.

About the Artwork

The Niō in this Mythological Buddhist figure art print holds his mouth open on the syllable “a”, first sound of the Sanskrit alphabet. Japanese temples name that form Agyō and post him at the Niōmon gate.

Here he steps off the gate onto oat-pale paper. Cinnabar red floods his chest and thickens at the belly. A fist climbs past his ear. The lower hand closes on a kongōsho, the brass-yellow vajra of the Kongōrikishi, lightning cast small enough to grip. Malachite green swings overhead in the tenne scarf and curls beside his bare heels. Five flames nick his teal halo.

This sheet dates to 1878, ten years after Meiji edicts split Buddhism from Shinto and temples were stripped or shut. Ink and color on paper kept his stance. His knotted persimmon skirt hangs heavy against an indigo hem, and his hair ribbons are still lifting. Hung by a doorway, this Japanese Buddhist wall art turns a hall into a gate, the first syllable still leaving his mouth.

Origin Story

Niō are the paired, wrathful guardians of the Buddha who stand at the gates of East Asian Buddhist temples—shanmen in China, niōmon in Japan, geumgangmun in Korea—their muscular, wrestler-like bodies carved to terrify and protect. Chinese folklore recasts them as Generals Ha and Heng. Sanskrit scripture names them Guhyapāda, mouth open to voice the syllable "a," and Nārāyaṇa, mouth shut on "hūṃ," together spelling the birth and death of all things, contracting into the mantra om. Both are dharmapāla emanations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, said to have travelled with Gautama Buddha.

Unkei and Kaikei's celebrated wooden pair at Tōdai-ji, Nara, endures as their masterpiece. Suzuki Shōsan's Niō Zen urged monks to meditate on their fierce stance, absorbing their power, courage, and spiritual energy against adversity.

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Free Shipping + 30 Day Returns

1. Free Shipping

Free shipping to Continental USA, Canada, UK, EU, AUS, NZ & more: see full list here.

2. Produced on Demand

Printed after you purchase at print labs across the USA, UK, EU & AUS. Produced, quality checked, packed with care and handed to trusted shipping carriers within 72-96 hours on average.

3. Production + Shipping = Delivery In...

USA: 4-9 days • Canada: 5-12 days • UK: 4-9 days • EU: 5-10 days • AUS: 4-9 days • NZ: 5-12 days • Rest of the world: 3-4 weeks

4. Shipped with Love

Packed securely for bumpy journeys. Every package tracked from A to B to You. Sent carbon neutral at no extra charge. Peace of mind your money's being kind.

5. 30 Day Returns

You're welcome to open a return / exchange request within 30 days of your order's delivery. All items for return must be delivered back in their original condition, with their original packaging included. No returns, refunds or exchanges on discounted or sale items. Read the step-by-step returns process.

  • Made-to-order in USA, UK, EU & AUS
  • Handcrafted and packed with care
  • Every purchase plants a tree
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Fine Art Prints

True-to-life colors for a hundred years of daydreams

Ships in 2-4 days
Velvety matte art paper
Heavyweight 200gsm fine art paper. Smooth, clean finish. Naturally white tone. Acid-free to resist yellowing and deterioration.
Classic wood frames
Chevron-cut frame made from solid FSC®-certified sustainable wood. Ultra-clear Perspex glazing. Delivered ready to hang.
3 framing styles
Framed art prints can be shipped with no border, a slim border, or set in a classic acid-free mat. Museum-quality, however you style it.

Framed Canvas

Alive with multidimensional shadows, highlights and contrasts

Ships in 2-4 days
Artist-grade cotton canvas
38mm cotton canvas, ideal for photography, reproductions and impactful graphics. Luxurious, matte surface delivers depth and detail with outstanding clarity.
Premium float frames
The thin frame sits slightly away from the edge of the canvas, creating an elegant, gallery-worthy floating border.
Care in every detail
Canvas stretched over FSC®-certified, knot-free European pine. Milled with a curved profile to prevent pressure marks and surface cracks.

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