The Guardian Deity relief was discovered in 1992 at the Gò Mả Chùa ruins in Đại Hòa Village, Nhơn Hậu Commune, An Nhơn Town, Bình Định Province (now An Nhơn Ward, Gia Lai Province). The site is located on the western outskirts of the Do Ban Citadel, the ancient capital of the Champa Kingdom. Following its discovery, the artifact was transported for preservation and is currently housed and displayed at the Gia Lai Provincial Museum.
The Mả Chùa Guardian Deity relief is carved in high relief on a sandstone block, depicting a male deity. He wears a two-tiered crown (*mukuta*): the upper tier is decorated with five consecutive sharp triangular motifs, while the lower tier is plain; the crown's rim features small stepped lines extending past the ears to wrap around the back of the neck. The deity has a fierce, square face with thick, arched brows that nearly meet; wide, bulging eyes; flared nostrils; and a mustache with pointed, curved ends that droop downwards. His mouth is wide, revealing sharp, protruding upper fangs. He has large, elongated ears adorned with substantial ornaments that hang down to his shoulders. His neck is short, and his chest bears a four-petaled flower motif. He wears a Brahmin cord (*yajnopavita*) that loops from the neck down the torso and around to the back; the two ends—shaped like snake heads—twist together and emerge at the front, crossing over the deity's abdomen. He also wears ornaments on his wrists, upper arms, and ankles; these pieces consist of plain, unadorned bands. The left arm is raised straight up to head level, holding a mace, while the right arm rests on the knee before bending sharply to extend across the abdomen, holding a dagger with its tip pointing downward. The deity assumes a sturdy stance: the right leg is bent low, and the left knee rests close to the ground. He wears short trousers (*sampot*) that fit tightly around the thighs and feature numerous folds; the front section of the *sampot* drapes down to cover the right foot, extending into a long, sharp triangular shape with a curved tip.
In Cham sculpture, while other guardian deities are typically rendered as freestanding statues—often arranged in symmetrical, dynamic pairs suggesting combat—the guardian deity relief from Go Ma Chua displays a more static posture and movement. Carved on only three sides, it was not an independent sculpture but was attached directly to the recessed panels flanking the entrance or false door of the tower. Its unique form, stylistic execution, and decorative motifs identify this Go Ma Chua guardian deity as belonging to the Thap Mam art style of the Vijaya period (12th century).
