Untitled

Unknown

ca. first half of the 10th century · Stone · Asian Art

Located on a major sea route between India and China, Champa, in the central part of Vietnam, played an important role in early Southeast Asian history. This rare sculpture, which may represent either a temple guardian or the Hindu god Shiva, shows the rugged sculpting and distinctive physiognomy, particularly the prominent mustache, that typify the art of the Chams. He wears a short wrap, which features a long front pocket with an oblique upward curve, and a sash. He carries a rosary in his left hand and a club or trident in his right. An early tenth-century date is suggested by stylistic parallels to sculptures in contemporaneous buildings at Mi Son, an important site dedicated to Shiva, as well as further southeast at Khoung My.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. first half of the 10th century

Medium

Stone

Culture

Vietnam (Champa)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of R. H. Ellsworth Ltd., in honor of Douglas Dillon, 1987