10th C. Cambodian Khmer Angkor Stone Buddha Head

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Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 18, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-02-18 10:00:00 2021-02-18 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-6373
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• Lot Description
  Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Khmer Empire (Angkor culture), ca. 10th to 12th century CE. A beautiful and naturalistic carved-stone Buddha head in Khmer style displaying a serene visage of petite closed eyes, a round nose, and a thick-lipped mouth curved in a gentle smile. Enveloped in a rich hue of taupe, the peaceful visage wears an elaborate crown topped by a detailed ushnisha, a symbol of his enlightenment, which is decorated with the relief of a Buddha sitting cross-legged under an arch at the front and a lotus flower representing purity of body, speech, and mind at the top. A pair of long-lobed ears flanks his calming countenance, representing his conscious rejection of the material world. A full head of straight hair sits above a diamond-shaped bhindi on his soft brow. Note the artist's careful attention to detail demonstrated via the intricate folds of his eyelids and wrinkles in his neck. Size: 4.25" W x 8.25" H (10.8 cm x 21 cm); 11.125" H (28.3 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Khmer art moved away from Indian styles in the 7th century CE to encompass its own framework; one example of this seen here is that this head is carved in the round, rather than as a relief on a stela, which was more prevalent among Indian and Javanese Hindu and Buddhist sculptures that were previously influencing Cambodian art. From this, we can infer that Khmer sculptors would have desired their artwork to be viewed from all sides, and thus placed in the center of temples rather than against a wall. While this artwork was religious - priests supervised its execution - its realism is unmistakable.
  
  The head of Buddha is perhaps the most significant element of the deity, as it represents his immense body of knowledge and wisdom along with the tranquil nature that emanates from its expression. The prominent elongated ears are a physical feature symbolic of the Buddha's time as a prince when he wore elaborate ear ornaments to demonstrate wealth and prosperity. Of course, the prince stopped wearing them when he left the palace to become an ascetic; however, his earlobes remained stretched signifying a renunciation of the material world. Beyond the multi-layered meaning embodied in the iconography of this piece, the technique executed to create his intricate headdress is exemplative of the virtue of the artist.
  
  Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired in 2010s; ex-Edgar Owens Galleries, Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, USA
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #162058

  Condition

  Fragment of a larger piece. Expected light surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice earthen deposits.
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