103 cm.（40 1/2 in.）high

出版：《Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics》,Eskenazi,倫敦,1999年,圖版13
This magnificent and imposing pair of Lokapalas，also referred to as ‘Heavenly Guardians’，were intended to guard the four directions of the universe. Both of their unglazed heads feature a pair of stern bulging round eyes，thick eyebrows and a curled up mustache. One of them is open-mouthed while the other keeps his mouth closed. Their hair is tied upwards in a knot，with a flaming vermilion bird placed surmounting their hair.
Displaying a fierce facial expression，this pair stands still facing each other in mirror image，with one arm raised in a clenched fist and the other placed on the hip. They are both shown wearing an elaborately layered military armor，a pleated skirt with a pair of shin guards worn over the trousers and the boots. Their elaborate armour consists of a pair of breast plates and dragon-head epaulets. They are shown trampling on a demon，with one leg stepping on the shoulder of the demon and the other leg placed on its abdomen，warding off the evil spirits. Displaying a painful expression，the muscular demon is depicted struggling to escape. A stippled pattern of cream，green，and amber-coloured glazes cover most of the bodies of the two figures.
The term ‘Heavenly King’ originated from depictions of Buddhist deities that referred these figurines as ‘Guardian of the World’. They were normally presented at the four cardinal points at，or near，the entrances temples. However，as Buddhism exerted a vast influence in China during the Tang Dynasty，these heavenly guardians gradually evolved into more extravagant warrior-like figures. They were given the function of exorcising evil forces. This is a perfect portrayal of anthropomorphism where God is being attributed human characteristics to assimilate into our everyday lives. A number of similar lokopalas can be found in important private and museum collections including The British Museum Book of Chinese Art，New York：Thames & Hudson，NY，1996，p.145；Seventy Years，Volume 1，Mayuyama & Company；Tokyo，Japan，1976，pl. 209；Homage to Heaven and Earth：Chinese Treasures of the Royal Ontario Museum，Toronto：University of Toronto Press，1992，p. 141，pl. 81；Tang：Treasures from the Silk Road Capital，Sydney Art Gallery of New South Wales，2016，p.127，pl. 90；Chinese Ceramics，Victoria & Albert Museum，London，2009，p. 48，pl. 59.
The dating of this lot is consistent with the result of a thermoluminescence test，Oxford Authentication Ltd.，sample no. C198p37.

Provenance：
Eskenazi，London，2001
An American Private Collection

Price estimate:
HKD：1,200,000-1,800,000
USD：154,800-232,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,770,000