Lokapala Guardian King, one of a pair

China

late 7th–early 8th century

Earthenware with molded and carved décor under polychrome pigments and gold

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A guardian figure stands over a smaller, crouching figure. The guardian wears ornate armor and a tall headdress, while the smaller figure appears to be a monkey-like creature. These magnificent Buddhist <I>lokapalas</I> or guardian kings originally served as tomb guardians in an aristocratic Tang burial. Wearing elaborate headdresses and armor, and with a fierce expression on their faces, each king tramples underfoot a demon clinging desperately to a rockwork base. Their clenched hands perhaps once held weapons. These tomb figures are particularly masterful in their combination of the arts of sculpture and painting. The superbly modeled face of each king reveals finely painted moustaches, eyebrows and other details. The exotic suits of armor featuring decorative breast plates, animal head ornaments, and e