Spirituality encompassed all aspects of daily life in Ancient China. Chinese folklore believes that a human possesses two souls, the hun and the po. The hun, the ‘cloud soul’, ascended to the heavens on the moment of death, while the po, the ‘white soul’, remained on Earth, closed in the tomb of the deceased. The po essentially went on to live an afterlife, and needed tasks and diversion to occupy its time much like in life. It was up to the relatives and attendants of the dead person to provide the tomb with the necessary objects for the po to be satisfied. If not, the po would escape from the confines of the tomb and become a malevolent spirit, haunting the realm of the living. To ensure this did not happen, the Chinese would place grave goods called mingqi in and around the tomb. Mingqi came in different categories: one can find objects from daily life as well as luxury items, including animals, servants and houses for the richest of burials. Originally, ancient Chinese would murder servants, attendants and animals for this purpose, interring them along with the deceased lord. However, this brutal practice was banned under the Qin Dynasty in the Third Century BC, and instead replaced with terracotta figures of these entities. Some examples of this practice continued in rural China, however, with the latest recorded example in AD 1673. Common motifs include horses, servants and soldiers, which formed an ever-loyal retinue for the po. The Tang Dynasty (AD 618 – AD 907) represents the apex of Imperial Chinese unity. Never before had the Chinese states been so united, which brought astounding wealth to the country and imperial court. In this period, even the burials of fairly wealthy, but still middle ranking officials became extraordinarily rich with comparatively the highest concentration of mingqi and other luxury grave goods.
Buddhism arrived in China around the start of the First Century AD. It is thought that individual gods from Buddhist tradition preceded the organised religion, finding their way into Southwestern China from India. The spread of Buddhism encountered various obstacles, as the Han Dynasty were initially reluctant to accept a foreign religion into their Empire. Over time, as Buddhist following grew in Southern China, and tensions rose, the ruling class became more tolerant, as the acceptance of Buddhism proved to be a useful tool to quell popular discontent in its Southern regions. Buddhist traditional beliefs began to appear more frequently in arts and society. Funerary and religious practices adapted themselves to this new current, and gave birth to new hybrid customs.

While the tomb itself was extremely important, the entrance of the tomb also needed adequate spiritual protection. The po was vulnerable to e gui, ‘hungry ghosts’, spirits which fed on the souls of deceased humans, a Buddhist traditional belief. The entrance of the tomb was guarded by different types of warrior-spirits and creatures. The most renowned of these are the Tiānwáng, the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’, which each face a cardinal direction and guard the tomb from erring demons. Another category of tomb guardians which specifically guard the entrance to the tomb are called dvarapala, ‘guardians of the gates’. These entities are commonly mistaken for Heavenly Kings, however there are differences in the depictions and overall mythology surrounding them. Dvarapala are traditionally placed either side of the gate pillars, and they come in pairs, accompanied by a pair of animals, or spirit animal guardians. The pair of guardians represented is the same each time, which allows us to identify the figure in this dvarapala. This figure is Tang-yeh, the ‘Guardian of the Wilderness’, meaning the burial grounds. This mythological figure was charged with facing away from the tomb, repelling any dangerous spirits that tried making their way into the burial chamber. One can notice Tang-yeh is in the act of subduing one such beast-like demon, an asura as it is known in Buddhist belief, striking a conquering pose after his triumph. He is portrayed as a soldier, wearing full-plate armour, a technological innovation of the Sui Dynasty (AD 581 – AD 618), and would have been holding a weapon, probably a spear, in his hand. His armour shows the wealth of this burial: a zoomorphic shoulder piece, in the form of a dragon, along with carved details at the hem of the cuirass and belt buckle show the great craftsmanship and care the artist put in realising this artefact.

The typical sancai (tri-colour) glaze is shown here in its full splendour, with the body, demon and pedestal being meticulously glazed; conversely, the head of Tang-yeh is kept unglazed, a stylistic choice which better imitates the texture of human skin, giving it a more life-like appearance. Sancai glazing appears in China around AD 700. The technique uses different chemical reactions to achieve vibrant colours which decorated roof tiles, statues and other common objects in Tang Dynasty China and thereafter. The trademark green glaze is achieved by including copper in the mixture of elements, which once fired turns into an emerald green shade. This dvarapala is in fine condition, as green glaze tends to tarnish over time, becoming a dull grey colour. This artefact is a splendid example of Tang Dynasty funerary custom, reflecting the imposing military and economic wealth of this empire. The strength of the Tang Dynasty, of a harmonious unified country is reflected in the prowess of its artists, who were capable of creating a piece with such imposing iconography.

References: A similar Guardian Figure can be found in New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11.83.1). A further example can be found in San Francisco (Asian Art Museum, B60S155+)