445 - A BRONZE FIGURE OF VIRIUPAKA, THE GUARDIAN KING OF THE WEST, CHINA, MING DYNASTY

A BRONZE FIGURE OF VIRIUPAKA, THE GUARDIAN KING OF THE WEST, CHINA, MING DYNASTY Dimensions: Height: 31 cm Wide 15 cm Depth 13 cm Weight: 2381 grams A powerful bronze figure of Virupaksha, Guardian King of the West, standing in a commanding pose on a rocky base. He is clad in elaborate layered armour with a scale-pattern breastplate and ornamental belt, while broad ribbons sweep outward from the shoulders. The fierce face, with prominent eyes and strongly modeled brows, is framed by a high crown. A coiling serpent or dragon is held as an attribute, emphasizing the supernatural authority of the guardian. Virupaksha is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, protectors of the cardinal directions and defenders of the Buddhist Dharma. In Chinese temples such guardian figures were commonly placed at thresholds and in entrance halls, where their martial appearance embodied the power to repel harmful forces. The present bronze combines robust modeling with dense surface detail; a green patina has developed across the darker metal surface.