Armored Guardian King (Tianwang) Trampling Demon

Tang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century

China

This clay figure depicting the evil-quelling guardian king is one of a pair. Images of such guardian kings, or Tianwang, have appeared both in and beyond China. In Indian mythology, these deities were believed to watch over the four directional quarters of the universe. Devotees of Buddhism adopted and popularized guardian kings throughout Central and East Asia. In Tang-dynasty China, images of these guardian kings, seen as embodiments of cosmic power, were installed to defend both secular and religious sites. Monumental images of stone or wood were created for Buddhist temples. Smaller examples like this one were made of clay and buried in tombs to protect the deceased.

Status: On View, Gallery 133
Department: Arts of Asia

Title: Armored Guardian King (Tianwang) Trampling Demon
Place: China (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 701 CE–750 CE
Medium: Earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead glazes
Dimensions: H.: 94 cm (37 in.)
Credit Line: Bequest of Joseph Winterbotham
Reference Number: 1954.416b
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/129758/manifest.json

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Armored Guardian King (Tianwang) Trampling Demon

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.