Preah Ko style (875-893)

Figure13. Rajendradevi or Gauri

Western sanctuary, southern side, Lolei temple, Roluos, Siem Reap

H: 150 cm

Ka. 1645 B. 289 B. 42, 4

Acquired by the museum in October 1920

The Khmer language inscription carved on the pier of one of Lolei temple’s sanctuaries tells us that King Yasovarman erected statues of Siva and his wife as representations of his maternal grandparents.

The sculpture of Siva’s wife located in the western sanctuary is commonly called Rajendradevi. But according to another inscription, written in Sanskrit, this deity is Siva’s wife Gauri, goddess of beauty.

Some researchers have suggested it might be a 12^th copy of Queen Rajendradevi. The artist copied the original 9^th century-style of the body and followed 12^th century fashion for the hairstyle. Indeed, the diadem and the chignon cover are similar to 12^th century designs.

The cylindrical chignon cover is adorned with trabak chhouk, or lotus petals, in five concentric and decreasing circles. The diadem is divided into three sections. Ium ang chhouk (lotus stamen) designs decorate the lower section. In thecenter are phka chan rosettes and haft-rosettes positioned inside lozenges and haft-lozenges. The upper section is decorated with stylized lotus petals called trabak chhouk bambek.

The face shows combed hair on the side of the forehead, sharp eyebrows that are continuous, a thin nose, a short chin and long ear lobes. This is a balanced beauty; the folds of her neck and below her round breasts are sings of good health.

Rajendradevi wears a classical Preah Ko style sampot, worn folded over the stomach and the triangular fold over the left hip. The sampot is draped below the navel to show the soft, rounded beauty of the stomach.

The artists used large parallel strokes to show the lengthwise fold, the folded edge and the triangular fold. Women’s sampot at the time were either straight or pleated.

This statue of Rajendradevi shows that after her death, the queen was considered to be a Brahmanic goddess under the reign of Yasovarman.

Figure14. Headless body of Durga

Bakong temple, Roluos, Siem Reap

H: 10 cm

Ka. 1803 B. 327 B. 712

Acquired by the museum on 6 October 1931

This Durga retains part of her two left arms. She is dressed in the same style as Rajendradevi.

The surface is badly damaged by the flaking of the stone.

Figure15. Headless body of female deity

Unknown origin. Property of the Conservation d’Angkor

H: 92 cm

Ka. 2986 DCA:3555

This deity’s body shows the healthy robustness of Khmer women.

The sampot is flat and flared at the bottom. The sampot is folded at the waist in a flat band.

Figure16. Laksmi

Unknown origin

H: 48 cm

Ka. 802 cm

This elegant deity is standing in the middle of a male and female who are kneeling in an attitude of prayer. The praying figures are positioned symmetrically on each side of the deity’s body median axis. Both join their hands above their head.

Even in the absence of identifying attributes, we can assume this deity with the broken arms is Laksmi, as she is standing on top of a plinth decorated in stylized lotus designs. Laksmi’s name is ‘Padma’, which means lotus. She is the goddess of beauty and fortune.

Her pleated sampot shows the same details and draping style as that of other goddesses from the Preah Ko style.

Figure17. Torso of ffemale deity

Unknown orgin. Property of the Conversation

d’Angkor

H: 43 cm

Ka. 2972 DCA: 39890

From this torso, we can deduct the standing position, slightly bent at the hip, of the sculpture. Even though it is badly damaged, the  beauty of this torso remains obvious; the rounded breasts, set close together, form a central line and the folds beneath the breasts are visible. The elements have been carved in a realistic style.

Te waist of the sampot is still visible. It looks like a belt, even a scarf, flat and smooth.

Figure18. Four-arm body of Durga

Bos Preah Nan, Kampong Speu

H: 59 cm

Ka. 1652 B. 71 B.712, 4

This is the second Preah Ko style example of a pleated sampot and is similar to other goddesses but it is worth noting the appearance of a flat and smooth section of cloth on the left side of the garment.

The sampot worn and tied with a belt became more common in subsequent styles.