Tang in the eighth century Coloured drawing or pattern pop figures

• auction

LOKAPALA OR TIANHUANG， HEAVENLY KING. CERAMIC.
China. Tang Dynasty. 8th century.
Ceramic with painting. The heavenly guard is depicted in armour with helmet， breast plates and cuisses. In his right hand he is holding a short sword， his left is raised in defense. His facial expression with bushy eyebrows and bared teeth accentuates the defense. Height 67cm， width 34cm. Condition B/C. Usual restorations.
A Thermoluminescence test no. 010609 from the Ralf Kotalla laboratory dated June 5， 2001 confirms the dating.
Literature：
-Andrew C. Ritchie： Catalogue of the Paintings and Sculpture in the Permanent Collection，
Albright Art Gallery， Buffalo， 1949. p. 212， no. 215.
-Steven A. Nash u.a.： Albright-Knox Art Gallery； Painting and its the from Antiquity to
1942, Buffalo, 1979. P. 89-90.
Guardians of the cardinal directions (tianhuang or lokapala) are usually in a group of four, clear as the tomb guards they were generally positioned as couples, in the ceramics of the Tang Dynasty they were always depicted in full armour and wu posture.