Tang dynasty (AD 618-907)
Length 41.7 cm, Width 25 cm
From Xiuding Temple Pagoda, Anyang, Henan Province, 1987

This brick is an ornamental piece that was removed from the Xiuding Temple Pagoda in Anyang. There is a strongman carved upon the brick. He wears his hair in a coil. He has two round staring eyes, and his chest and arms are bare. He is illuminated by a blazing light behind his head. The figure is of ordinary height, with developed muscles and a fine physique. This work is executed entirely in the style of the High Tang, and thus has substantial artistic merit.