Lot 176
Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Khmer Empire, Angkor period, ca. 12th to 13th century CE. A quietly commanding sandstone Buddha head, carved in the classic Angkor Wat style, where serenity is engineered as carefully as a temple wall. The face is broad and balanced, with softly closed eyes, a composed smile, and gently arched brows that convey inner stillness rather than earthly emotion. This calm physiognomy reflects the Khmer ideal of divine kingship merged with Buddhist enlightenment. The head is crowned with a tiered ushnisha, rising in rhythmic, conical bands that suggest both spiritual elevation and architectural order. A delicately incised diadem encircles the brow, anchoring the composition and echoing the ornamental language found throughout Angkor period sculpture. The elongated ears, once symbolic of princely status before renunciation, frame the face with quiet authority. Size: 5.3" L x 6" W x 8.9" H (13.5 cm x 15.2 cm x 22.6 cm); 12.1" H (30.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Carved from warm gray sandstone, the surface bears the soft erosion and granular texture characteristic of Khmer temple sculpture. Areas of wear, especially along the nose and crown, are consistent with age and devotional exposure, lending the piece a weathered dignity rather than detracting from its presence. The sculptor favored volume and harmony over fine detail, allowing light and shadow to animate the form naturally.
Originally part of a larger seated or standing figure, this head would have been intended for a temple shrine, where it functioned not merely as an image but as a focal point for meditation and ritual. Isolated today, it retains a powerful spiritual gravity, offering a distilled expression of Angkor period Buddhism - timeless, centered, and profoundly still.
Provenance: private Rogers, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Bosio collection, Miami, Florida, USA, 1960-2000
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#200216
- Condition: Fragment of a larger piece with losses to top of headdress, earlobes, and neck. Chipping to rim of headdress. Weathering to surface with loss of detail on face and nicks and abrasions in areas. Otherwise, good presentation with nice remaining detail with scattered earthen deposits.
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