A Sandstone Figure of a Seated Buddha

Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period exhibits the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form. Note how the thin drapery closely follows the body, gently modeling the belly. For another example from Angkor Borei, this one a standing figure exhibiting the same facial features and treatment of the body, see H. Jessup and T. Zéphir, Millennium of Glory, Washington, 1997, pp.146-7, fig.no.2.