Second Sheet from a Series of Four Featuring Chinese Depictions

These two fierce figures are vajradharas, guardians of Buddhist temples. They can also be seen in the form of large wooden sculptures elsewhere in this pavilion. The closed mouth of the left guard forms the word ‘heng,’ while the right one forms the word ‘ha.’ Together, they comprise the basis of their Chinese names: Hengha Erjiang. Later, these figures were incorrectly labeled as water and fire spirits, comparable to Christian beliefs.