Seated with one leg crossed on a stool and the
other
pressed against the ground, the figure holds an
emblem of office in left hand
while cupping the ear in the right hand--a
gesture of his extraordinary ability
to hear and to understand foreign
languages.
The arched eyebrows, bulging eyes and
menacing grimace convey ferocity
and strength while the elaborate military dress
and dignified demeanor,
befitting of a royal guardian, exemplifies the
virtues of loyalty and
righteousness.
Called Heavenly Guardians (tian wang),
these
intimidating figures stand between heaven and
earth, removing the forces of evil
that wreck havoc in both realms. Spiritually
and physically, they maintain peace throughout
the universe.
They also ensure perfect climate for
agricultural growth that was a
primary concern for rulers who wanted to remain
ruling.
They were endowed with the ability to
regulate wind, rain, lightning and
thunder; by doing so they could make a good
person/country advance/bloom or
destroy the bad and evil ones. Based
on the belief in the inherent power of an image
to bring about that which it
represents, the Heavenly Guardians became a
favorite subject for stone statuary
that lined the roads to tombs, temples, ancestral
halls, and palaces.
- (H.039a)
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