Weituo is an important 18th century ceramic sculpture from the
Henan Province of China. Large sculptures of Weituo, one of the
guardians of Dharma, or Buddhist law, are often found in Chinese
temples, and sometimes in the refectories of Chinese monasteries,
where his presence is said to guarantee calm and peace.
Weituo’s history
The story of how the sculpture ended up in the museum so far
from home is far from calm. Originally bought by a London art
dealer who mistook both his age and identity, Weituo had to endure
a very bumpy ride from China, inadequately packed in a crate, and
arrived in London in pieces. In this sad state the sculpture was no
longer of interest to the dealer, who promptly sold him.
After three months of careful restoration here at the museum,
Weituo was finally brought back to his original splendour and put
on display, although a reminder of his ordeal can be spotted if you
look carefully.
Weituo in Buddhist tradition
According to Buddhist traditions, Weituo fought off demons who
had stolen the relics of Dharma. He’s therefore represented as a
general wearing a tall helmet and a full suit of gold chainmail
armour secured at the waist by a belt decorated with a monster’s
head. He is often shown with a sword but our sculpture holds a
sceptre across his arms and his hands meet in the position of
prayer.
On the move again
In 2008, however, Weituo was on the move again, into storage
this time, while the redevelopment work is going on at the museum.
But weighing in at 450kg, he wasn’t going anywhere easily.
Assistant conservator Diana de Bellaigue explains:
“We knew that the sculpture was in two parts but didn’t know
whether the two halves were attached and if so, how.
“Fortunately the top half is hollow and relatively light, and it
lifted clear of the legs, with no hidden fixings to contend with.
The legs, however, had been restored in the 1930s, when they had
decided to pour cement into them, adding roughly an extra 150kg to
the weight.
“With the use of the lifting beam we successfully transferred
both parts to their respective crates and gingerly pallet trucked
them across the squeaking floorboards of the balcony to the goods
lift, breathing a sign of relief when they safely reached
Granton.”