Sculpture
Sculpture
Late 7th century (made)
Late 7th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In pre-Angkorian Cambodia the major cult temples were dedicated to Siva, with the linga as the paramount expression of divine authority. However, judging from the sculptural evidence which survives, Visnu also attracted royal patronage. This head, from a small image, bears all the characteristics of the pre-Angkorian period: the unadorned cylindrical mitre headdress, the 'archaic' curls of hair which fall to the shoulders, and a remarkable naturalism. The figure of Visnu would have been four-armed, and unadorned apart from a simple waist cloth (sampong) as seen in Avalokitesvara (IS.22-1988).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Sculpture (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Sandstone |
| Brief description | Head of Visnu, Pre-Angkorian style, sandstone, late 7th century, Cambodia |
| Physical description | In pre-Angkorian Cambodia the major cult temples were dedicated to Siva, with the linga as the paramount expression of divine authority. However, judging from the sculptural evidence which survives, Visnu also attracted royal patronage. This head, from a small image, bears all the characteristics of the pre-Angkorian period: the unadorned cylindrical mitre headdress, the 'archaic' curls of hair which fall to the shoulders, and a remarkable naturalism. The figure of Visnu would have been four-armed, and unadorned apart from a simple waist cloth (sampong) as seen in Avalokitesvara (IS.22-1988). |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from Alex Biancardi (Walmore Collection) |
| Production | Cambodia |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.19-1988 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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