A CHINESE PAINTED POTTERY GUARDIAN, TANG DYNASTY

The Tang dynasty was a luxuriant period and their aristocrats could afford sumptuous tombs. Depending their rank, the tomb chamber displayed larger and better quality of a varied array of pottery horses, camels, grooms and other subjects. The entrances to these chambers however were always watched over by glazed or painted pottery guardians. The principle guardians, directly fronting the entrance, were a pair of seated earth spirits. Just behind these were normally positioned a pair of fiercely guardians and sculpted by the artist(s) in a complementary standing posture. According to archaeological evidence however, richer burials could have up to four standing guardians and in fact it is not to be excluded that this presented earthenware guardian was part of such an extended group, taking the quality and comparable size into consideration.This finely painted earthenware guardian stands all in rather triumphant and menacing posture with booted feet atop a reclining animal placed on a rocky-shaped base. The hands with clenched fists.The face modelled with ferocious and frowning expression, set with bulging eyes, broad nose, pronounced lips embellished with black painted moustache and beard. Puffy cheeks and denoted chins complete the facial traits. On top of his head a helmet with upright shaped side and back flaps, ornamented with an impressive bird-like shaped finial.The guardian wears thigh-length, multi-layered armours covering his body. These are secured with straps and partly twisted ribbons and overall painted withcloud, floral and striped motifs. Under his armours he wears a tunic which triangular shaped front parts are painted with remnants of various floral designs.Various traces of gold leaf are still visible.Clearly, when still more or less completely covered with these gold leafs, it must have been a majestic though frightening encounter for the intruderwith guardians in the shimmer light, when trying to disturb the deceased person or even worse to rob precious objects from him.In fact, this concept of guardians overlooking the entrance of such a tomb chamber predates the Tang period. The first examples were placed directlyon rocky platforms. Only around the mid-seventh century a new type evolved, known as shenwang. These ‘heavenly kings’ subdued now animals, placed onpedestals. One of the subdued animals is the ox, while the other represents a deer-like creature, like the presented figures. More commonly this deer-likebeast is addressed to as guai or ‘strange’. A slightly later development of the eighth to ninth century, and eventually predominating, sees them tramplingon demonic figures. In both latter forms they are known as well as tianwang or in Sanskrit lokapala. As they strongly resemble the four guardians of theBuddhist law, which faith had imbued the entire Tang upper-society by now, both concepts became integrated. Based on style and iconography, these finely sculpted guardians can be safely placed in the late seventh to early eighth century.Height 69 cm.Oxford Authentication samplePROVENANCEPrivate collection, The NetherlandsCATALOGUE NOTEComparable painted earthenware guardians, are published by Liu Liang-yu, ‘Survey of Chinese Ceramics, Early Wares: Prehistoric to Tenth Century’, Aries Gemini Publishing Ltd., Taipei 1991, p. 259. Some other pottery guardians sharing similar elaborate headgears, though of less quality, are illustrated in ‘The Art of Chinese Ceramics from the Han to Tang: Selected Treasures from the dr. T. T. Tsui Donation’, by the Provisional Regional Council, Hong Kong 1998, p. 118 - 121.