Dvarapala at the Guimet Museum, Paris

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Dvarapala, a guardian of gates or doors, is often depicted as a powerful warrior or fearsome asura giant, armed with a weapon, typically a mace known as gadha. The statue of dvarapala serves as a widespread architectural feature in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, as well as areas influenced by them such as Java. In Southeast Asian languages, including Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Javanese, these protective figures are referred to as dvarapala. Dvara, meaning gate, and pala, meaning protector, combine to form the term dvarapala. The related name in Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia is dwarapala. Equivalent door guardians in northern Asian languages include Kongorikishi or Niō in Japanese, Heng Ha Er Jiang in Chinese, and Narayeongeumgang in Korean. Traditionally, these statues were placed outside Hindu or Buddhist temples, as well as other structures like royal palaces, to protect the holy places within. A dvarapala is usually portrayed as an armed fearsome guardian resembling a demon, but at the gates of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, dvarapalas often display average human features. In some cases, a fierce-looking nāga snake figure may serve the same purpose. Dvarapalas have their origin in tutelary deities and warrior figures from local popular religion. Today, some dvarapalas are even figures of policemen or soldiers standing guard. The sculptures in Java and Bali, typically carved from andesit stone, depict the dvarapala as fearsome danavas or daitya (asura race) with a bulky physique in semi-kneeling position and holding a club. The largest dvarapala stone statue in Java, a dvarapala of the Singhasari period, stands 3.7 meters tall. The traditional dvarapalas of Cambodia and Thailand are leaner and portrayed in a standing position holding the club downward in the center. Ancient sculptures of dvarapala in Thailand were made from high-fired stoneware clay covered with a pale, almost milky celadon glaze. Ceramic sculptures of this type were produced in Thailand during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, between the 14th and 16th centuries. Depending on the size and wealth of the temple, the guardians could be placed singly, in pairs, or in larger groups. Smaller structures may have had only one dvarapala. Often there was a pair placed on either side of the threshold to the shrine. Some larger sites may have had four (lokapālas, guardians of the four cardinal directions), eight, or 12. In some cases, only the fierce face or head of the guardian is represented, a figure very common in kratons in Java. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan The World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.