A POWERFUL WHITE MARBLE BUST OF A LOKAPALA, TANG DYNASTY

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A POWERFUL WHITE MARBLE BUST OF A LOKAPALA, TANG DYNASTY Expert’s note Surviving fragments of lokapala are notably rare, particularly when compared with the more numerous fragments of Buddhas. The present figure is further distinguished by the exceptionally refined and expressive carving of the head, the guardian appearing to literally shout the power of the Law in a great exhalation of prana-breath. China, 618-907. Skillfully carved, the upright torso is clad in elaborate armor with prominent breastplates, secured at the waist by a thick cord and further embellished by the remains of a cloak tied at the neck. The powerfully modelled face is inclined slightly downward, its menacing expression defined by bulging eyes beneath a deeply furrowed brow, a broad nose, and a wide-open mouth, while the head is protected by a distinctive helmet surmounted by a prominent finial. Dimensions: Height 63.4 cm Lokapala are the Four Heavenly Kings who inhabit the temporal realm, charged with guarding the four cardinal directions and protecting the Buddhist Law or Dharma. They were conventionally represented as powerful, bare-chested guardian figures and generally understood to derive from Gandharan prototype images of Vajrapani, the ‘Thunderbolt Bearer’, an attendant of the Buddha Sakyamuni and a personification of the power of the Dharma. Vajrapani in turn reflects earlier Hellenistic visual models, notably Herculean or Atlantean figures known from architectural friezes and sarcophagi. Literature comparison: Compare a related stone figure of a lokapala, dated to the Tang dynasty, in the Shanghai Museum. Compare a related sandstone head of a lokapala, dated to the Tang dynasty, 25.7 cm high, in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, object number 2000.5. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 September 2008, lot 574 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 46,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and subject. Note the state of preservation and the size (21.5 cm), which is similar to the size of the present figure’s head. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 16 May 2007, lot 29 Price: GBP 96,000 or approx. EUR 192,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, related modeling, and manner of carving. Note the identical stone and smaller size (51.5 cm).

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