Barakat Gallery
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Artworks
  • Catalogues
  • Exhibitions
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

The Barakat Collection

  • All
  • Fantasia Series
  • Pre Columbian Art
  • African
    • Masterpieces of African Art
    • African Masks
    • Akan, Asante, Fanti
    • Bambara
    • Baule
    • Benin
    • Bura
    • Chokwe
    • Dan
    • Dogon
    • Fang
    • Hemba, Luba, Shankadi
    • Igbo, Urhobo
    • Ife
    • Mangbetu
    • Nok, Katsina, Sokoto
    • Oceanic
    • Senufo, Kongo
    • Songye
    • Yoruba
  • Asian
    • Masterpieces of Asian Art
    • Art of Cambodia
    • Art of India
    • Art of Indonesia
    • Art of Myanmar
    • Art of Nepal
    • Art of Thailand
    • Art of Tibet
    • Buddhist Art
    • Gandharan Artefacts
    • Indus Valley Artefacts
    • Kushan Artefacts
  • Beyond The Limits
    • Beyond the Limits
    • Beyond the Limits - Vol. 21
    • Beyond The Limits Horizontal
    • Beyond The Limits Vertical
  • Biblical
    • Masterpieces of Biblical Art
    • Bronze Age Artefacts
    • Iron Age Artefacts
    • Oil Lamps
    • Phoenician Artefacts
    • Sabean Artefacts
    • Roman Period Artefacts
  • cosmic galaxies
  • Byzantine
    • Byzantine Artefacts
    • Byzantine Crosses
    • Byzantine Glass
    • Byzantine Metalwork
    • Byzantine Oil Lamps
    • Masterpieces of Byzantine Art
  • Chinese
    • Masterpieces of Chinese Art
    • Neolithic China
    • Warring States Period
    • Han Dynasty
    • Sui Dynasty
    • Tang Dynasty
    • Song Dynasty
    • Ming Dynasty
    • Qing Dynasty
    • Northern Dynasties
  • Classical
    • Masterpieces of Classical Art
    • Bronze and Iron Ages
    • Greek Art
    • Greek Vases
    • Greek Terracotta Figures
    • Canosan Art
    • Classical Bronzes
    • Roman Art
    • Classical Glass
  • Egyptian
    • Masterpieces of Egyptian Art
    • Predynastic Period
    • Middle Kingdom
    • Late Dynastic Period
    • New Kingdom
    • Ptolemaic Period
    • Roman Period
    • Egyptian Amulets
    • Egyptian Bronzes
    • Egyptian Ushabtis
  • Islamic
    • Masterpieces of Islamic Art
    • Hispano-Moresque
    • Islamic Ceramics
    • Islamic Glass
    • Islamic Metalwork
    • Islamic Oil Lamps
  • Homage to the Masters
    • Homage to Claude Monet
    • Homage to Clyfford Still
    • Homage to Gustav Klimt
    • Homage to Jackson Pollock
    • Homage to Jasper Johns
    • Homage to Joan Miro
    • Homage To Kandinsky
    • Homage To Klimt
    • Homage to Lee Krasner
    • Homage to Mark Tobey
    • Homage to Miro
    • Homage to Monet
    • Homage to Odilon Redon
    • Homage to Paul Klee
    • Homage to Pollock
    • Homage to Sam Francis
    • Homage to Shozo Shimamoto
    • Homage to Umberto Boccioni
    • Homage to Van Gogh
    • Homage to Wassily Kandinsky
    • Homage to Willem de Kooning
    • Homage to Yayoi Kusama
  • Illusion
  • Near Eastern
    • Masterpieces of Near Eastern Art
    • Achaemenid Art
    • Assyrian Art
    • Babylonian Art
    • Cuneiform Tablets
    • Elamite Art
    • Hittite Art
    • Luristan Art
    • Parthian Art
    • Sassanian Art
    • Scythian Art
    • Sumerian Art
    • Urartian Art
    • Near Eastern Bronze Age
    • Near Eastern Iron Age
  • Jordan Series
  • Pre-Columbian
    • Masterpieces of Pre-Columbian Art
    • Aztec Art
    • Art of Costa Rica
    • Art of Ecuador
    • Mayan Art
    • Mayan Ceramics
    • Mezcala Art
    • Olmec Art
    • Olmec Masks
    • Art of Panama
    • Taino Art
    • Teotihuacan Art
    • Toltec Art
    • Veracruz Art
  • Magnificent Marine Life
  • Russian Icons
    • Russian Icons - Masterpieces
    • Icons
    • Travelling Icons
  • Decorative Art
    • Decorative Art - Masterpieces
    • Faberge Style
    • Decorative Glass
    • Decorative Sculptures
  • Nirvana
  • Jewellery
    • Jewellery - Masterpieces
    • Ancient Jewellery
    • Cameo Jewellery
    • Ancient Coin Rings
    • Ancient Coin Necklaces
    • Ancient Coin Pendants
    • Intaglio Jewellery
    • Beaded Necklaces
    • Modern Jewellery
  • Numismatics
    • Numismatic Masterpieces
    • Greek Coins
    • Roman Coins
    • Byzantine Coins
    • Islamic Coins
    • Jewish Coins
    • Coin Forger's Dies
  • Antiquities
  • Red Series
  • Selections
    • antiquities for the homeOLD
    • Antiquities for the Home
  • Small Paintings
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Song Granite Sculpture of a Celestial Guardian, 960 CE - 1279 CE

Song Granite Sculpture of a Celestial Guardian, 960 CE - 1279 CE

Granite
26.75 x 63.75
H.557
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ESong%20Granite%20Sculpture%20of%20a%20Celestial%20Guardian%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E960%20CE%20%20-%20%201279%20CE%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EGranite%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E26.75%20x%2063.75%3C/div%3E
After the fall of the T¡¯ang Dynasty, a period of unrest and war ensued, finally ending with the establishment of the Song Dynasty. The Song era was considered a time...
Read more
After the fall of the T¡¯ang Dynasty, a period of unrest and war ensued, finally ending with the establishment of the Song Dynasty. The Song era was considered a time of consolidation for Chinese culture. Traditional text were reanalyzed and reinterpreted, bringing forth a revival of Confucianism peppered with new ideas. Once again, civil scholars became more influential than their military counterparts. This was an era of peace, where technology and innovation flourished. Trade now focused on the seas, since the Silk Road had since been cut off. The Song viewed themselves as the culmination of two thousand years of Chinese culture. However, splinters began to emerge among the various ethnic groups that had been unified under the T¡¯ang. As these ethnic rivalries began to grow, the government became fractured as officials began to oppose each other, allowing the Mongols from the north to invade and conquer.

Stone figures usually line the entrance of tomb complexes, offering halls, and temples to remove forces of evil and ensure harmonious ties between the spiritual and material worlds. This granite guardian, called a Heavenly King, exemplifies Sung stylistic taste for realistic representation in stone figure art. The guardian's form resembles those of military officials whose sturdy, stout bodies convey strength, endurance, and determination--features commonly associated with calvary horses. His arched eyebrows, bulging eyes and menacing frown frighten evil spirits and mortal wrongdoers. Holding a four stringed guitar in his hands, he is seated with one leg forward as an expression of loyalty to whom he serves. When played, the guitar emits a magical sound which is heard throughout the world, setting the camps of enemies on fire. Dressed in chain mail armor gathered at the waist with a belt bearing the emblem of a mythical animal, he attends to the responsibilities of maintaining justice and order in the universe through his power to regulate climate and fortune. Likewise, the Heavenly Guardians were a popular choice of figures to be cast in stone and placed near sites of great spiritual and ritual value. The names of four guardians (heavenly kings) are generally as follow (sanskrit/chinese): 1. In the East: "Dhritarastra ¶«·½³Ö¹úÌìÍõ" Represents "Compassion" and ability to 'protect' a country. Usually the one holding a Pipa (a chinese instrument), symbolizing the use of music to encourage sentient beings to seek refuge in buddhism, protecting the east. 2. In the South: "Vidradhaka ÄÏ·½Ôö³¤ÌìÍõ"
Generally means one who can encourage sentient beings to prolong their roots of kindness. He has green color body, and uses a sword, protecting the south. 3. In the West: "Virapaksa Î÷·½¹ãÄ¿ÌìÍõ"
Generally means one who can look very far and observe the world and protect the people. Usually has a red body and is the leader of the 4 kings. He carries a dragon, and when one sees it, they will believe in buddhism. He also uses rope to catch believers and get them to see refuge in Buddhism. He was in charge of protecting the west. 4. In the North: "Vaisramana ±±·½¶àÎÅÌìÍõ" (sometimes also known as "ÅþɳÃÅ Pisamen")
Generally means "one who knows alot". Usually has a green body and carries an umbrella on his right hand and carries a magic mouse on his left hand. These were used to subdue the demons and protect and maintain people's wealth. Sometimes, he is also known as the God of prosperity in India.
The four guardians of Buddhism are sometimes also known as the "4 heavenly kings 四大天王". They were actually the "4 Dharma Protectors 四大护法" (i.e. Protectors of Buddhist teaching) whose mission is to protect the world, advise sentient beings to do good and avoid evil, records the deeds of sentient beings etc. In chinese Buddhist temples, you will often see the statues of these 4 deities in front of the gate/entrance to the temple. Sometimes, you can also see their paintings on the wooden door/gate of the temple. They were there to 'protect' the temple. In Buddhist cosmology, the universe was divided into 3 worlds: 1) the world of desire (欲界) 2) the world of form (色界)
3) the world of form-less (无色界) Most of sentient beings including humans are living in the world of desire, which has 6 levels of heaven known as "6 desire heavens 六欲天". The 1st levels of heaven (known as "Xuer Mountain 须弥山") has a mountain known as "Jiantuolo Mountain 犍陀罗山". This is where the 4 heavenly kings live. The Jiantuolo Mountain has 4 peaks, each of which protected by the heavenly kings.
Close full details

Literature

V20

Share
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email

London

58 Brook St, Mayfair

London, W1K 5DT

+44 (0) 20 7493 7778

info@barakatgallery.eu

 

 


 

CONTACT | TEAM | PRESS 

 

Seoul
58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu,
Seoul, Korea
+82 02 730 1949
barakat@barakat.kr

 

 


 

Los Angeles

941 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90069
+1 310 859 8408

contact@barakatgallery.com

 

 


 

 

Facebook, opens in a new tab.
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Send an email
View on Google Maps
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2022 Barakat Gallery
Site by Artlogic

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our mailing list

Sign Up

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.