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Koh Ker style (912-945)


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 the piece are the shape of the sampot and the frontal and hieratic position.
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