Figure of a Demon, unknown maker from China

This demonic figure likely belonged to a sculptural display made to guard a gravesite. The expert modeling of this earthenware figure, whose surface retains traces of red and white pigment, conveys the movement and power of its subject. In Tang-era funerary culture, clay sculptures depicting supernatural figures often served as protectors of the deceased. Common among such images were groupings of armored heavenly guardians (lokāpala) posed with one foot trampling a demon. This figure’s frown, bulging eyes, and defensive posture indicate the form of a wriggling demon being subdued by a lokāpala.

Demons like this one are derived from Hindu and Buddhist nature spirits called yakṣa in Sanskrit. In Buddhist contexts, they often embody values like ignorance or attachment that a devotee must strive to overcome. However, in Tang culture the primary purpose of these figures was to protect the deceased from otherworldly threats.