Untitled

Unknown

late 12th–early 13th century · Stone · Asian Art

This colossal bust of the Esoteric Buddhist god Hevajra comes from the ruins of the ancient site of Angkor in northwestern Cambodia. It is said to have been found near the East Gate (the Gate of the Dead) of the great walled city of Angkor Thom, built by Jayavarman VII (r. 1181–1219). The Bayon, sited at the very center of Angkor Thom, was one of the last major monuments of the Khmer empire. This sculpture is fragmentary. The top head is missing. If the sculpture was, in fact, intended to represent the dancing Hevajra, it would have had eight arms on each side. Quite a few small bronze sculptures confirm this depiction. To judge from the rough surface of parts of this sculpture, it was never completed.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 12th–early 13th century

Medium

Stone

Culture

Cambodia

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1936