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Cambodia, Angkor Wat early 12th century Sandstone height 92 cm |
Detail: close-up The Angkor Wat style takes its name from the royal temple founded by Suryavarman II (1113-1150), although its beginnings lie a little earlier, in the reign of his predecessor Jayavarman VI (d. circa 1107 ce). Suryavarman II is renowned as a great warrior king, responsible for the expansion of the Khmer empire and the creation of a number of important temples, including Angkor Wat. This royal temple-mountain, which was Suryavarman’s personal funeral monument, is probably the largest religious complex in the world and is unrivalled in architectural importance. This statue of Durga is well preserved and still retains three of the original four hands, which hold a shell, a club and a lotus bud, all typical Vishnu attributes. The wide sarong with its incised pleats and downturned top edge, and long decorative front panel ending in a fishtail motif, is characteristic of the Angkor Wat style. In comparison to other sculptures of the same period, the present image manifests a high level of fine carving, meriting a place among the best known examples. Provenance: Collection Galerie De Ruimte, Eersel, the Netherlands, 1970s. Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00027875. D.P. Leidy, Treasures of Asian Art. The Asia Society’s Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, New York, 1994, p.98, no.83. E.C. Bunker and D. Latchford, Adoration and Glory. The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago, 2004, no.17. |
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