Phnom Penh National Museum

Figure27. Laksmi Trapeang Totung Thngay temple, Siem Reap H: 100 cm Ka. 1580 B. 761 B. 32, 9 Moved from the Conservation d’Angkor to the museum on 31 January 1948 The goddess is shown standing and making the danamudra with her right hand, a gesture that symbolizes donation. She wears a pleated skirt whose back reaches up to the waist, while the front is tied be3low the navel. The sampot is harmoniously tied at the front in a style similar to that of the Pre-Angkorian era, with only a small fold hanging over. But it is narrower at the bottom than sampots were in the previous style. It must garment is set off by a belt decorated with hanging pendants. The finely carved belt is decorated with rosettes and lined by two rows of pearls. Lastly, her hair is braided and piled at the top of her head in a domed chignon that is tied with a garland at its base. Her slender waist, round and firm breasts set close together, slender fingers, and her eyes set with precious ston...

Figure24. Female deity Unknown origin H:57 cm Ka. 800 It is always difficult to distinguish between Banteay Srei and Pre Rup style deities wearing the mukuta. The deities are almost the same size and the decorative details are similar. However, the mukuta can provide some information; while it is sculpted in a conical shape in the Pre Rup style, it looks like a truncated cone in the Banteay Srei style and is decorated with a curling braid and a garland of large pearls(?) at its base. This fashion will remain in subsequent style. Figure25. Female deity Unknown origin H: 67 cm Ka. 681 The third eye one her forehead indicates that this deity is probably Sarasvati, Brahma's sakti. It is almost identical to the previous statue (Ka. 800), which leads us to assume the existence of a school from which these two sculptures come. The museum's restoration team worked at length on this small piece to remove a first layer of paint, under which were found tw...

Figure22. Body of the female deity Neang Khmao temple, Northern sanctuary, Tonle Bati, Takeo H: 108 cm Ka. 1653 B. 195 B. 422, 1 Acquired by the museum on 1 June 1923 The beauty of this torso lies in its beautiful shine, which has been caused by popular belief; people touched the torso in the hope of being blessed. The way of wearing and draping the sampot is identical to that of the previous style. So are the beauty folds under the breasts. However, the fold of the sampot is narrower compared to the Koh Ker style and pleats are heavier. The garment is most likely held by a belt that plays a more practical role than in the past. Figure23. Female deity Unknown origin H: 84 cm Ka. 709 This piece shows a two-armed goddess wearing a mukuta. The mukuta is divided in two sections, the diadem and the chignon cover. The diadem is finely decorated and the conical chignon cover is decorated along four rows. The mukuta worn here is almost identical to that ...

Figure20. Body of female deity Unknown origin. Property of the Conservation d’Angkor H: 122cm Ka. 2987 DCA: 1551 The museum owns only a few female deities from this period. The artistic style of the period is characterized by movement and the colossal appearance of the sculptures. Massive deities are built with large solid feet to keep their balance. The feet are never sculpted in a realistic manner. This deity wears a ‘sampot bat’ identical to that worn by goddess Ka.2985 from the Bakheng style. However, the folded edge of the cloth is longer and is as wide as the stomach.   Figure21. Body of female deity Unknown origin. Property of the Conversation d’Angkor H: 59 cm Ka. 2959 DCA: 5561 Koh Ker sculptors favor large, wide piece of cloth that hang over the hips. The flaring movement and the cloth tied at the waist make this Durga’s sampot rather realistic. The fold at the hips indicates how the sampot is held. The main characteristics of...

Before the items from the Angkor Conservation were transferred to the Royal Palace, the Phnom Penh Museum did not own any example of female deity from the Bakheng style. Figure19. Body of female deity Unknown origin. Property of the Conservation d’Angkor H: 115 cm Ka. 2985 DCA:3338 In spite of its badly poor condition, this piece is interesting as an example of Bakheng style art. The style of the sampot worn by the goddess is called ‘sampot bat’, folded sampot. It is tied with a belt adorned with rosettes and pendants and the triangle fold from the Preah Ko style has disappeared; the fold at the front spreads from one hip to the other. In must be noted that from this style onwards, all the deities wear pleated sampots.