An unusual Chinese gilt bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara 北魏或周代 中國銅鎏金觀音菩薩像

China, Northern Wei 5th Century (386-534) - Chou dynasty. 6th Century (557-581)

Dvarapala, or dharma protectors, are traditionally conceived as fierce guardian figures, with taut musculature and animated, forceful poses. This finely cast Tang dynasty example is rare for its strongly humanised presence, reflecting the Chinese reworking of a type ultimately derived from Indian Gupta prototypes (circa AD 320 to 550), in which guardian figures could be rendered with a more naturalistic anatomy and a heightened sense of corporeal volume.