306 - A SMALL BRONZE FIGURE OF A GUARDIAN DEITY, CHINA MNG DYNASTY

A SMALL BRONZE FIGURE OF A GUARDIAN DEITY, CHINA MNG DYNASTY Dimensions: Height 8,8 cm Wide 3,6 cm Depth 2 cm Weight: 63,9 grams A small cast bronze votive image of a standing guardian deity, framed by a tall openwork mandorla and raised on a lotus pedestal. The figure wears an elaborate crown and jewelry and holds attributes in both hands; small subsidiary figures are incorporated into the surrounding aureole. Above, a fierce mask-like head reinforces the protective character of the composition. The dark brown bronze surface is enriched by areas of green patination, particularly in the recesses. Compact images of this type condensed complex protective iconography into a portable devotional format and could draw upon both Buddhist and Daoist visual vocabularies in Ming China. The reverse is comparatively flat and retains evidence of the casting process.