Buddhist Guardian Deity

Created late in the mid-Qing Dynasty, this evil-conquering guardian likely was installed in a religious site as a form of protection. Such guardians were described in early Indian mythology as protectors of the four directional quarters of the universe, and Buddhist devotees helped popularize this image throughout Central and East Asia. With some of its gilding and painted surface still visible, one can imagine how the figure, its intricate carving enlivened by gold leaf and saturated pigment, would have seemed to come alive in the flickering light of a temple.