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Guardian

Slide taken in galleries at Seattle Asian Art Museum

Guardian

15th-16th century

Chinese

Guardians, as they are known, are dressed in military uniforms and once stood on a Buddhist altar, serving as attendants to the Guanyin. The fierce countenance of one figure contrasts with the calm expression of the other, both exerting incredible presence. Their robust and arched torsos, elaborate armor and flowing ribbons recall the painted clay figures in the Dahui Temple in Beijing, and the Skanda in the Shuanglin Temple in Shanxi province.

Gilded bronze and pearl
28 x 19 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (71.1 x 49.5 x 31.7 cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
33.820
Slide taken in galleries at Seattle Asian Art Museum
location
Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Discovering Buddhist Art - Seeking the Sublime, July 9, 2003 - June 3, 2005

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