Khan Academy: A Guardian King

This fierce-looking king is a symbolic protector of the Buddha's sacred law and also a fighter of evil spirits. His right foot is raised to stamp upon the head of a demon (now missing). His armor consists of tunic, trousers, chest and back plate, and tied sash. A lion's face decorates the plate at his waist. This figure may be one of the Guardian Kings of the Four Directions, who belong to a large class of Buddhist deities below the level of buddhas and bodhisattvas.