Seated with one leg crossed on a stool and the othe pressed against the ground, the figure holds an emblem of office in left han while cupping the ear in the right hand--a gesture of his extraordinary abilit to hear and to understand foreign languages. The arched eyebrows, bulging eyes and menacing grimace convey ferocit and strength while the elaborate military dress and dignified demeanor,
befitting of a royal guardian, exemplifies the virtues of loyalty an righteousness.


Called Heavenly Guardians (tian wang), thes intimidating figures stand between heaven and earth, removing the forces of evi that wreck havoc in both realms.  Spirituall and physically, they maintain peace throughout the universe. They also ensure perfect climate for agricultural growth that was primary concern for rulers who wanted to remain ruling.  They were endowed with the ability to regulate wind, rain, lightning an thunder; by doing so they could make a good person/country advance/bloom o destroy the bad and evil ones.  Base on the belief in the inherent power of an image to bring about that which i represents, the Heavenly Guardians became a favorite subject for stone statuar that lined the roads to tombs, temples, ancestral halls, and palaces.