Dimensions: Height 41 cm Wide 25 cm Depth 17 cm without base
Weight: 2636 grams with base

The guardian is portrayed in a commanding pose, one hand resting on the hip, the other grasping a staff. He is clad in a finely carved suit of armour with scaled lamellae, decorated with foliate and cloud motifs, over which flow dynamic draperies highlighted with red pigment. The expressive face is vividly carved with arched brows and open lips, surmounted by an elaborate crown centered with a small figure. Traces of original gilding and red lacquer remain, the surfaces now mellowed with age.

The reverse shows expected wear from long devotional use, with old restorations.

Figures of this type were traditionally enshrined in Qing dynasty Buddhist temples as protectors of the Dharma, flanking images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to symbolize vigilance and divine authority. Comparable examples are preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. The present piece, with its richly detailed armour, strong modelling, and surviving gilded surface, represents a fine 18th-century example of Chinese guardian sculpture.