Page 20 - Art D'Asie Paris

■ 14

IMPORTANTE STATUE D’UNE DIVINITE
MASCULINE EN GRES
CAMBODGE, KHMER, EPOQUE BAPHUON,
XIEME SIECLE

Il est représenté debout en samabhanga. Il est vêtu d’un
sampot délicatement plissé tenu par une ceinture ornée
sous son torse nu aux tétons percés.
Hauteur : 92 cm. (36º in.), socle

€80,000-120,000 $88,000-130,000
£72,000-110,000

PROVENANCE:

Private French collection, acquired in the 1970s.

AN IMPORTANT SANDSTONE TORSO OF A MALE DEITY

CAMBODIA, KHMER, BAPHUON PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY

柬埔寨 高棉帝國 巴本寺時期 十一世紀
砂岩男神身像
來源：
法國私人收藏，購於1970年代

This highly important polished sculpture is very well

preserved. The sacred image is not wearing any carved
jewellery and it may thus have been decorated with real
jewellery during ceremonies. As Hinduism was the state
religion during the Baphuon period the current deity most
likely represents Vishnu. The artist sculpted the fgure with
slightly bent knees to give it movement in an otherwise
static posture. The worked sampot contrasts fnely against
the smooth body parts.

Based on the developments of the previous half-century
artists of the Baphuon period introduced a number of
new stylistic elements and refnements. For instance, the
sampot draped around the hips of male deities dips in
almost V-shape below the navel with graceful folds below
the belt. It passes through the legs to form a curving bow
at his back. The double anchor-shaped cloth section falling
to the front between the legs, known from previous periods,
disappears, though returns again with the artists of the
succeeding Angkor Wat period.

The current fgure is rather slim with long legs, relative short
body, and his shoulders are naturalistically proportioned,
all stylistic characteristics of the Baphuon period. The
Baphuon period is arguably the highpoint in depiction of
both male and female forms in all Khmer art. One may
even say that the materialized gods from this period are
handsome and well-built. This superb fgure of probably
Vishnu is indeed elegant and naturalistic in appeal, in fact
presenting the deity in an idealized human form benefting
his name as Preserver of the Universe.

Appraised by Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard, Paris, on 28
July 1979 and 24 June 1981.

18 ART D'ASIE · 14 DÉCEMBRE 2016