Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Khmer Empire (Angkor culture), ca. 11th century CE. A skillfully carved, monumental stone statue of a curvaceous female, depicted in the round and facing forward. She wears a sampot, the 1500 year-old traditional dress of Cambodia, around her lower body; it is finely rendered to suggest folds of drapery and tasteful decoration. Her torso is nude, presenting voluptuous breasts and a navel at the center of her belly. Her face is serene with narrow incised eyes, broad nose, and full lips, and her head is topped by an intricate cylindrical-shaped headdress, with locks of hair drawn up underneath. Perhaps this is Uma, one of the names of Parvati, Hindu goddess of love and fertility, the supreme mother goddess. Her statues and iconography grace Hindu temples throughout Southeast Asia, reflecting the strength of her worship. Size: 7.75" W x 25" H (19.7 cm x 63.5 cm); 29" H (73.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Khmer art moved away from Indian styles in the 7th century CE to encompass its own framework; one example of this differentiation, seen here, is that this statue is carved in the round, rather than as a relief on a stela, which was common with Indian and Javanese Hindu and Buddhist sculptures that previously influenced Cambodian art. While this artwork was religious - priests supervised its execution - its realism is unmistakable, and some scholars believe that gods and goddesses were portrayed with the features of individual members of the royal court. This sculpture and others like it would have both emphasized the power of the monarchy and given high ranking people joy - after all, who wouldn't want to see themselves sculpted by the finest artisans in stone, compared to a god or goddess?

For a similar piece, please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 1983.14

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, 1980s to 2000s

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#162232

Head has been reattached with infill along break lines. Losses to arms and legs as shown. Abrasions and losses to face. Surface chips and abrasions. Light mineral deposits.