Lokapalas, China, Tang dynasty (618 - 907). Height: 68.8 cm & 69.4 cm. TL tested Oxford, UK. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

The tombs of Tang royalty, nobility and elite were often furnished with fierce figures. These guardians were placed near the entrance of the burial chamber to protect the deceased and his treasures from evil spirits. They derive from the Buddhist Lokapāla, and have typical Middle Eastern facial features such as a moustache and big round eyes. These scary foreign features would have made a huge impression on the Chinese people.

Provenance: Provenance: JMD Collection, The Netherlands, 2015
With Vanderven Oriental Art, 1999.

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.