A RARE SMALL CHINESE BLUE AND SANCAI GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A LOKOPALA, TANG DYNASTY, 618 - 907 唐 三彩及蓝釉 力士像一件 The guardian depicted standing on a demon raised on a rocky pedestal base, with his head turned to the left, his left hand resting on his hip and his right hand raised, dressed in elaborate armour with divided breast plate over a knee-length tunic, all splashed in blue, ochre and cream glazes save for the unglazed face dressed in elaborate armour with dragon epaulets and divided breast plate, over a knee-length tunic, all glazed in amber, green and cream. Height: 31.5cm The result of Oxford Authentication Thermoluminescence Report no.C121k49 is consistent with the suggested date of manufacture A full-size version, showing the same iconography and also with the addition of blue to the standard sancai palette, excavated in 1959 from Zhongbu village, Xian, is in the collection of the Shaanxi History Museum Condition Report The figure has had restoration to the raised right hand, to the cheek of the left hand side of the head, to the demons right arm, to the back of the lokopala’s left leg, to the right side of the collar on his tunic and to a possible break at the base of the raised right arm.