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Banteay Srei style


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 two more layers of paint, one layer of gilt and a layer of lacquer.

The Khmer's traditionally use gilding to confer a sacred meaning to an object.


Figure26. Umamahesvara

Banteay Srei temple, Siem Reap. First western Gopura
H: 60 cm
Ka. 1797 B. 24 B. 43, 1

This small ensemble shows the inseparable couple, Uma and Siva. Uma’s head was most likely stolen in 1970.

The gods wear folded sampots and similar mukuta with identical decorative details. Their diadems are decorated with several rows of serrated designs (kbach kanh chaing), pearls (kbach pong trei), rosettes (kbach phka chan) and stylized lotus petals (kbach trabak chhouk bambek).


Siva is seared with his right knee up, in the so-called ‘Javanese’ position, and holds a stylized trident in his right hand.
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