明 木雕加彩四大天王坐像一組

each guardian figure seated on a naturalistic rockwork base, deftly carved with stern expressions and inset with enamel eyes, all below pierced crowns with lotus medallions and scrollwork encircling a looped topknot, wearing chain-mail armor and layers of cinched and pleated fabrics, one arm raised to bear an attribute (now lost), with traces of gesso and polychrome pigments (4)

Each of the four Guardians with losses to the paint, crown, fingers, billowing drapery, scattered nicks throughout, some vertical cracks (stabilized by the textile-and-gesso layer over the wood), and some roughly hewn passages at the sides of the base. One Guardian with an approx. 13 x 12-cm partially detached section at the front of the base, and three losses to the back of the base (largest approx. 12 x 13 cm). One Guardian with an approx. 27-cm vertical crack to the undercut back side of the 'rockwork' base (yet still stable). One Guardian with a restored break to the right arm, just above the elbow.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Finely carved with detailed armor and menacing faces, these four figures represent the Four Guardian Kings (Sitian Wang) who are on earth to guard the four cardinal points of the world and protect the Buddhist Law (dharma), according to Buddhist philosophy. The four kings, who are believed to have been present at every critical moment in Buddha’s life including his birth and his attainment of nirvana, were originally placed on the four sides of stupas to guard the Buddhist relics inside. They include Virudhaka, ‘He who enlarges the kingdom’, the Guardian of the South; Dhrtarastra, ‘He who maintains the kingdom of the Law’, the Guardian of the East; Vaishravana, ‘He who is knowing’, the Guardian of the North, and Virupaksha, ‘He who observes all things in the kingdom’, the Guardian of the West. Each guardian is depicted as a fierce warrior, with eyes wide open and muscular bodies visible through their armor, while their celestial nature is shown by their flowing scarves.

Wood figures of Four Guardian Kings, carved with full rounded faces and detailed armor as seen on the present are rare. Compare a standing wood figure of a guardian, sold at Christie’s New York, 20th March 2014, lot 2061. See also four much larger painted stucco sculptures dressed in a similar carved armor, from the Shuanglinsi temple in Pingyao, Shanxi province, illustrated in situ in Shuanglinsi cai su foxiang [Buddhist images of coloured stucco from Shuanglinsi], Taipei, 1997, pp 33 and 35.