CAMBODIA, KHMER, ANGKOR WAT PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY

This figure is probably that of Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god Vishnu. It is a fine example of the best of the sculpture of the Angkor Wat period. This period is often overlooked due to its archaistic style. It is argued that pieces from this period lack the sensuality of the previous Baphuon period and miss the spirituality characteristic of those of the succeeding Bayon period. However, this example is particularly well executed with fine jewellery carved in relief. Lakshmi's face shows an impersonal and detached gaze fitting a celestial deity. A lacquered stone example is on display in Musée Guimet, Paris and published in P. Baptiste and Th. Zephir, L’Art Khmer dans les Collections du Musée Guimet, Paris, 2008, front cover and pl. 68.