GUARDIAN, WENGUANChina, Tang dynasty The sculpture depicting a male figure dressed in a large and long robe, his hands clasped to his chest, a large hat on his head.54 cm highProvenance: Fabrizio Savi collection, acquired from Galerie Moderne, Bruxelles, between 1995 and 2000.Funerary statuettes (mingqi) depicting civil officials begin to appear in the tomb equipment of members of the aristocracy from the end of the seventh century. In the procession staged by these sculptures, civil servants follow the guardian animals (zhenmushou) and the armed guards (zhenmuyong); behind them the populous procession made up of the most diverse humanity and numerous animals.* The thermoluminescence carried out on the 20th november 1999 from the Brussels Art Laboratory. Nuclear Section. Institut Superi Industriel de Bruxelles confirms the proposed dating.