Prei Khmeng style (635-700)

Figure4. Durga

Tuol Kamnap, Krasaing Char, Ponhea Lieng, Kampong Trabek, Prey Veng

H: 97 cm

Ka. 1631 B. 819 B. 42, 7

Acquired by the museum on 22 April 1953


 

All works of art, whether they are made of stone or bronze, are almost always simplified and stylized. The item of clothing worn by this Durga (Ka. 1631) shows pleats between the legs, suggested by softly carved strokes and lines radiating from the knot.

The presence of the four arms, the upper one holding a conch, proves that it is a statue of a Durga.

Standing stop a plinth featuring a buffalo head, the deity is slightly bent on one hip. She displays many signs of her beauty: slender hips, breasts close together, which each nipple represented by two concentric circles, folds under her breasts and three folds under her neck. She has a long face that shows intelligence and strength, rounded cheeks, slightly prominent eyes, perfect arch of the eyebrows and long earlobes.

Here, the artist has dressed her in the old-fashioned flared sampot but he has shortened the length by sculpting a large fold at the waist. This approach mirrors real-life fashion.

Here, Durga has retained two elements common to the Prei Khmeng style, the cylindrical mukuta and the sampot folded below the knot.

This piece was donated by the abbot of Sirei Sakor pagoda (Kampong Trabek district, Prey Veng province).

Figure5. Durga

Bos Preah Nan, Choeung Prei district, Kampong Cham

H: 84 cm

Ka. 1772 B. 23 B. 42, 1

Acquired by the museum on 1 January 1920

The overall appearance of this statue is similar to that of Durga Ka. 1631. In spite of missing fragments (the left breast, the nose and both feet), the statue is still beautiful. Her beauty shows in the movement of the hips, the slight bending of her left leg and the folds under her breasts. She wears a sampot draped above the navel, which, contrary to previous deities, the beauty of her stomach.

Her clothing is sculpted in a very realistic manner; the lengthwise fold is worn slightly higher than the lower hem of the sampot and the back of her left leg does not touch the skirt.

Figure6. Durga

Unknown origin

H: 95 cm

Ka. 1621 B.99 B. 42, 2

Acquired by the museum on 1 January 1920

The buffalo head on the front of the plinth and a shoulder with two arms prove that this is a sculpture of the goddess Durga.

The demon-buffalo has two long horns that seem to be positioned under the deity’s feet. The plinth shows traces of the ends of the arch that used to support the arms. The sampot is carved very simply; the lengthwise fold and the fold at the waist are shown in light strokes.

Figure7. Durga

Tonlorp village, Khum Skus, Samrong Tang district, Kampong Speu

H: 88.5 cm

Ka. 2927

Acquired by the museum on 6 February 2002

The two attributes, the dagger in the upper right hand and the shield in the upper left hand, are the weapons given to Durga by the gods. The goddess is standing on a buffalo’s head carved on the front side of the plinth.

Here, the beauty of the subject is symbolized by a smiling expression, fingers slender as orange tree thorns (a popular Khmer comparison), curved eyebrows and the matching harmonious movement of the two upper arms.

The sampot worn above the navel, the light strokes of the lengthwise fold and the radiating upper knot give great quality to this work of art.

Figure8. Durga

Samlanh village, Tani, Kampot

H: 75 cm

Ka. 1632 B. 316 B. 42, 5

In the Pre-Angkorian era, the horseshoe arch is used to support the many arms of the representations of Visnu, Durga and Harihara.

The attributes held by this Durga are a conch, a disc and a club, of which only the base remains, and most likely, a ball in the lower right hand, which has now been lost. These attributes are identical to those of Visnu.

The goddess wears a sampot draped above her navel and the scarf is merely an ornament.

Figure9. Body of a headless female deity

Takeo province

H: 60 cm

Ka. 2382

What is remarkable here is the simplification of the lengthwise fold and the belt.

The goddess’ beauty lies in her slightly round stomach, set off by a sampot wom below the navel and turned up at the back.

Figure10. Siva carrying Uma

Prey Veng province

H: 20 cm

Ga. 5293 E. 802 E

Acquired by the museum in September 1934

Siva sits in the Indian position known as ‘Pen Phnen’ on Nandin lying on a plinth. This attitude is not as in real-life.

Uma is sitting in a European fashion on Siva’s left lap and clasps him around the waist.

The crescent moon on the front of the chignon and the long necklace on the left shoulder are the signs of Siva.

Uma wears a full-length sampot and like her husband, her hair is in a triangular-shaped chignon.

This piece indicates that throughout the ages, Uma is always represented alongside Siva.