Wei Tuo is a bodhisattva who is regarded as a devoted guardian of Buddhist monasteries and a protector of the teachings of Buddhism. In China he is also sometimes called ‘Hufa Wei Tuo Zun Tian Pusa’ which means Honoured Dharma Protector Skanda Bodhisattva. Wei Tuo is one of the twenty four celestial guardian deities mentioned in the ‘Golden Light Sutra’. In many Chinese temples, Wei Tuo faces the Buddha in the main shrine. According to the story, Wei Tuo was the son of a noble king who was a faithful Buddhist. The statue shows Wei Tuo trying to lure a dragon in the clouds with the sacred pearl in his right hand. The statue’s back shows a rectangular cavity with a lid which used to hold sacred formulas and magic spells giving the statue supernatural powers. It is carved from camphorwood, which repels insects, and covered with gesso and several layers of red, black and gold lacquer. The statue dates from the Ming period (1368 – 1644) and entered our collection in 1993 from well-known art dealer Art Treasures Gallery in Hong Kong. Height 88 cm.