KHMER, ANGKOR BOREI, 9TH CENTURY

Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure's open-eyed smiling face is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, with the ushnisha's subtle protuberance, the large snail-shell curls, and the sanghati covering both shoulders showing the influence of Amaravati. While Buddhist sculpture of the pre-Angkor period often also shares characteristics with contemporaneous Dvaravati art, this figure's slightly attenuated proportions marks a departure, imbuing the Buddha with a lithe, uplifted quality. Sculpture from this early period draws influence from Brahmanic sources combined with indigenous local traditions, forming a synthesis of unusual and extraordinary beauty.

For further discussion, see H. Jessup and T. Z,Aephir, eds. Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia: Millennium of Glory, 1997, p. 146. For a similar treatment of the face, see P. Dupont, Le Statuaire Preangkorienne, 1955, pl. XLIV; see also M. Giteau, Khmer Sculpture and the Angkor Civilization, 1965, p. 40, pl. 7.