Minneapolis Institute of Art

Lokapala Guardian King, one of a pair

China

Date

late 7th–early 8th century

Medium

Earthenware with molded and carved décor under polychrome pigments and gold

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

These magnificent Buddhist lokapalas 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 elaborate helmets were once completely polychromed with red, pink, green, blue, white, and black pigments as well as gold. Painted tomb ceramics such as these probably preceded the famous three-color ( san cai ) glazed wares that were introduced around 700 CE This pair is exceptional for its size, detailed modeling, and amount of original colored pigments that remain on the surface after thirteen centuries of burial. China, Asia

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