Metal Description

As well as the abundant and universally admired of stone sculptures, the ancient Khmer created Bronze objects, most of them Buddhist and Hindu divinities for the main religions or objects used in daily life. Jean Boisselier noted that, “The oldest records indicate the presence of Buddhism in Funan did not date not earlier than the Vth century.” This provides us with an earliest date in Khmer art history - we do not find bronze Buddhist or Brahmanist divinities that pre-date the Vth century. As it was probably difficult to carve a small figure with multiple arms in stone, the ancient Khmer preferred to cast them in bronze. The study of bronze work is complementary to the study of stone sculptures, as we do not find some statues like the Hevajra (Tantric Buddhist divinity) or Maitreya (Buddha of the Future) carved in stone. The bronze pieces come in different colors dependent on the chemical composition of materials used which include: gold, silver, copper, zinc, mercury, pewter, iron, lead and bismuth. In the pre-Angkorian period, there are some Buddhist statues make from stone and bronze that manifest Indian influences by the sway of the hips and the knees. Georges Groslier once described them as ‘Greco-Gupta’ statues because they possess some characteristics from both Greek and Indian art.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: H: 49.5 cm

Date: late XIIth - early XIIIth century

Provenance: Prei Monti, Roluos (Siem Reap)

Collection: National Museum of Cambodia, 

Phnom Penh

Ga.2424 Ga.5470

This triad represents the combination of Hinayana and Mahayana sects and illustrates the unification of Cambodia's religions.

 

Mahayana Buddhism was predominant during the reign of Jayavarman VII (1181-1218). It is represented by Lokesvara or Avalokitesvara (male divinity) and Prajnaparamita (female divinity). They are both Bodhisattva and have an Amitabha on their chignon symbolizing eternal radiance.

 

In Khmer art, Lokesvara is represented with two, four, six or eight arms for freestanding sculptures and ten arms in temple bas-reliefs such those at Banteay Chhmar temple.

 

Lokesvara's attributes are the lotus bud, rosary, vase with water of immortality (amrta) and book. Those of Prajnaparamita include the book and the lotus bud.

 

This piece is composed of three adorned divinities: Buddha shelled by the Naga in the middle, Lokesvara to the right of the Buddha and Prajnaparamita to the left.

 

According to a story concerning the life of Buddha, six weeks after he reached Enlightenment, Mara (Demon of Illusion) attacked him, provoking a storm. During this time the blessed one was protected by the King of Naga named Mucilinda who formed a throne with three loops of his body and placed his head above the Buddha to shelter him from the fury of the storm. In this work, Mucilinda is represented by a seven-headed Naga.

 

The artist wished to highlight the Naga's power. Each head possesses spirals, indicating the Naga is a venomous reptile. The three coils of the Naga represent the three worlds: hell, the middle world and Nirvana .

 

The Buddha is seated on the lotus flower represented by a platform decorated with lotus petals. His chignon has three tiers and is also decorated with lotus petal motifs. The pectoral collar encircled with pendants is round and has a large central rosette.

 

The ornaments of these divinities: armbands, pectoral collars, bracelets, ankle bands and earrings are very similar to one another.

 

Buddha carries in his right hand an object symbolizing the Caitya or stupa, that signifies “as all living beings die, the best world for them is Nirvana (the end of the chain of existence or extinction). This object is also discussed by Wibke Lobo ; "The little medicine-box in his hands shows that this Buddha is represented in his quality as Bhaisajya-guru (the Buddha of Healing), who can cure the ills of the world. He not only has the power to heal physical illness, but can also alleviate spiritual anguish”.

 

Lokesvara is represented with four arms and four attributes: a rosary and a lotus bud for the right arms, and a book and the amrta vase for the left. He wears the sampot can kbin which is tightly fastened with a lower edge that reaches to the mid thigh.

 

The scarf is decorated with rosettes surrounded by pendants. The triangle shape of one of the scarf's extremities is typically characteristic of the Bayon style (late XIIth - early XIIIth century).

 

Prajnaparamita has two arms; she carries a lotus bud in the left, and the book in the right hand. The lotus bud and the book carried by Prajnaparamita have the same significance as the attributes of Lokesvara: the lotus flower signifies the purification of human life and the book is the sacred text (dharma). The two remaining attributes of Lokesvara are: a rosary used during the recitation of dharma (doctrine) and a vase containing the nectar of immortality.

 

This female divinity is wearing a long sampot falling to the ankle, and a large scarf decorated with rosettes surrounded with pendants. The shark-tail stylized pleat in front of her sampot is characteristic of the Bayon style.

 

This Buddhist triad reveals the syncretism in ancient Cambodian religions and the supremacy of the artist's technique in bronze casting.

© 2018 សារមន្ទីរជាតិកម្ពុជា National Museum of Cambodia