Page 85 - 2019 September 11th Christie's New York Chiense Art Himalayan bronzes and art

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE CALIFORNIA COLLECTION
337
A GREY SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A
FEMALE DEITY
KHMER, BAPHUON STYLE, 11TH CENTURY
17æ in. (45.1 cm. ) high

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE
Mr. and Mrs. Anders Rojkoer of Denmark, by 1960s,
by repute.
Sotheby’s London, 14 November 1988, lot 36.
The goddess wears a sampot accentuated with vertical
folds and belt with a fange that falls just between her
legs. Her bare chest is sculpted with well-modeled
breasts. Her face displays a slight full-lipped smile with
wide, almond-shaped eyes, a low browline, and a broad
nose, all characteristic of Khmer deities.

In the Baphuon period, the wide, muscular torsos
of the previous century were replaced with rounded
shoulders and the narrow waist, with curved hips.
Prajnaparamita, who symbolizes the quintessence of
dharma according to tenth-century Khmer Mahayana
Buddhist histories, is identifed by the Buddha efigy
on her chignon. Compare this fgure to a similar
eleventh-century Baphuon-style female deity from
the Collection of Florence and Herbert Irving sold at
Christie’s New York, 21 March 2019, lot 1108.

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