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HOME :
Asian Art :
Art of Cambodia : Khmer Sandstone Sculpture of Vishnu
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Khmer Sandstone Sculpture of Vishnu - PF.5790
Origin: Cambodia
Circa: 1200
AD
to 1300
AD
Dimensions:
23.25" (59.1cm) high
x 12.25" (31.1cm) wide
Collection: Asian
Medium: Sandstone
Additional Information: SOLD, Preusser Lab Test
Location: United States
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| Description |
Vishnu, one of the principal Hindu
deities, is worshiped as the protector
and preserver of the world and restorer
of dharma (moral order). Vishnu, like
Shiva (the other major god of Hinduism),
is a syncretic personality who combines
many lesser cult figures and local
heroes. He is known chiefly through his
avatars (incarnations), particularly
Rama and Krishna. Temple images of
Vishnu depict him either sitting,
standing holding various implements, or
reclining on the coils of the serpent
Naga. The standing Vishnu is
traditionally dressed in royal garments
and holds in his four hands the shankha
(conch), cakra (discus), gada (club), or
padma (lotus).
The Khmer civilization, today embodied
by the temples and ruins of Angkor, one
of mankind's most astonishing and
enduring architectural achievements and
the largest religious monument in the
world, flourished from 802-1431 A.D.
From the great citadel of Angkor, the
kings of the Khmer empire ruled over a
vast domain that reached from what is
now southern Vietnam to Yunan, China and
from Vietnam westward to the Bay of
Bengal. The original city was built
around the Phnom Bakeng, a temple on a
hill symbolizing the mountain that
stands in the center of the world
according to Hindu cosmology.
Successive kings enlarged the city,
building other temples devoted to
various Hindu deities and large
reservoirs used for irrigation, which
also symbolized the ocean surrounding
the holy central mountain. The greatest
of the Ângkôr temple complexes is Angkor
Wat, constructed under King Suryavarman
II (reigned 1113-1150) to celebrate the
king as the incarnation of the god
Vishnu.
The artistic glory of the Khmer
civilization is perfectly preserved in
this sculpture of Vishnu.
Stylistically, the idealized forms of
the figure are characteristic of Angkor.
The smooth polish of the surface, the
hourglass-shape of the torso, and the
facial structure of this statue are
typically Khmer. The floral diadem tied
into a knot at the back of his head and
the pleated sarong with overhanging
fabric carved in the shape of a fishtale
are also both indicative of Khmer
sculpture of this period. The
idealization of the figure is the direct
result of his divine nature as well as
his indirect association with the king.
Gazing upon this masterpiece, we are in
the presence of not only a god and a
king, but also a relic of one of
history’s great civilizations. Like all
great art, this sculpture memorializes
an entire culture and era, not just a
specific ruler. The art and
architecture of the Khmer is one of the
greatest achievements of mankind.
Basking in the glory of this sculpture
is reveling in the beauty of life and
creation itself. It’s no wonder that
early legends surrounding Angkor, before
it was properly excavated and
documented, purported it to be a city
created by the gods when they still
resided on earth. Somehow this
sculpture of Vishnu seems like a divine
self-portrait.
- (PF.5790)
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