Lot 225
225
A bronze figure of Vishnu on his vehicle Garuda
A bronze figure of Vishnu on his vehicle Garuda

KHMER, BAPHUON STYLE, 11TH CENTURY

Details
A bronze figure of Vishnu on his vehicle Garuda
Khmer, Baphuon style, 11th Century
The four-armed deity standing with one leg on Garuda's shoulder and the other supported by his tail, Vishnu holding the disk and conch in his uppermost hands, both with benign expressions and with Garuda holding his arms and wings outstretched as if flying through the air, the bronze with a silvery green patina
6.3/8 in. (16.2 cm.) high

Lot Essay

This bronze might have served as an official insignia when the cult of Vishnu was raised to higher prominence under Suryavarman II, upon ascending to the throne in 1113. For another example, of simpler execution, in The Walters Art Gallery, see H. Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand, 1997, cat. no. 17.