Standing Figure of Buddhist Guardian

This relatively small figure of a fierce warrior likely depicts one of twelve heavenly generals who were installed in a circle to guard an image of the Buddha of Healing (Yakushi Nyorai) in a Buddhist temple. Dressed in Chinese-style armor, he held a spear or trident, warding off anyone who might threaten the Buddhist faith. An inscription—on the tenon attaching the bottom of one foot to its pedestal—suggests that the image was carved by a sculptor named Joga, whose name also appears on sculptures made for Kōfuku-ji, a major Buddhist temple in Nara.