Later Liang Dynasty (907-923 AD)
Unearthed from tomb of Wang Chuzhi at Quyang,Hebei Province,1994
This painted warrior image is carved on a rectangular white marble. The warrior wears the famous Mingguang armor of the Tang Dynasty, with a wind-winged helmet on his head, and steps on a bull-shaped monster. He holds a sword with both hands, and the tip of the sword points directly to the lotus in the monster's mouth. On his shoulder, there is a wind bird holding a pearl. It should be the image of the heavenly king of the Buddhist guardian god. Its artistic style inherits the lingering charm of the Tang Dynasty and sets a precedent in the two Song Dynasties. It has extremely high artistic value. Wang Chuzhi was the governor of Yiwu Army in the Tang Dynasty and the Later Liang Dynasty. He controlled Yi, Ding, and Qi states and was an important vassal general in Hebei. Later, his adopted son Wang Du launched a mutiny, and Wang Chuzhi was placed under house arrest and died of grief. In order to restore his reputation, Wang Du built a large tomb for his adopted father with exquisite architecture and decoration. This white marble carving was originally inlaid on the side of the corridor behind the tomb door.
https://www.fab.com/listings/5a2017a4-93d0-4a3b-90f5-262cb372674e