Dvarapala

In most Southeast Asian languages (including Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Javanese), these protective figures are referred to as dvarapala.

Equivalent door guardians in northern Asian languages are Kongōrikishi or Niō in Japanese, Heng Ha Er Jiang in Chinese, and Narayeongeumgang in Korean.

[4][5] The sculptures in Java and Bali, usually carved from andesite, portray dvarapalas as fearsome giants with rather bulky physiques in semi-kneeling positions and holding a club.

The traditional dvarapalas of Cambodia and Thailand, on the other hand, are leaner and portrayed in a standing position holding the club downward in the center.

The ancient sculpture of dvarapala in Thailand is made of high-fired stoneware clay covered with a pale, almost milky celadon glaze.