Head of Shiva, or a King or Nobleman
Artist
Cambodian
Date12th Century
MediumStone on marble base
Dimensions34 x 9.5 x 22.2 cm (13 3/8 x 3 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1923.1
DescriptionPre-AngkorLabel TextThe absence of the god's third eye on the forehead prevents the positive identification of this head as that of Shiva. The headdress (jata-makuta) is of a type that could also be worn by someone of high social rank. The iconographic confusion of god and king is not surprising in view of the Cambodia cult of the Deva-Raja (God-King). This belief, derived directly from a similar Hindu concept (chakravartin), was important in Cambodian art. Indian artistic ideals imported into Cambodia with Buddhism and Hinduism were modified to a distinctly Cambodian style. The massive head with little modelling and smooth broad facial planes are characteristic of the native style. The double outline lips and eyes and the strong projecting eyebrow are also typical of Cambodian style. The crisp carving and polished skin associated with the native style have been lost by erosion but the delicate patterns of the headdress remain on the back of the head where the image was protected from the ravages of time and the elements.ProvenanceBourgeois Gallery, New York, NY
On View
Not on view
