Khmer Pre-Angkor Female Deity, Prei Khmeng Style, 7th/8th Century

Description

Khmer Pre-Angkor Deity, Prei Khmeng Style, 7th/8th Century
Height: 12 inches, 17 inches without the museum quality stand
This goddess, with her commanding gaze, easily draws the viewer into her orbit of aloofness and beauty. These somewhat enigmatic qualities reflect the power of great Pre-Angkorian art.
This sandstone pre-Angkor sculpture is of a youthful goddess. Although some of the features of her face seem slightly exaggerated, they are very skillfully integrated into a harmonious relationship. The long almond-shaped eyes beneath the great arch of the full brow, the well-shaped full lips and the delicate nostrils of the nose combine to form an autocratic expression – dignified but authoritative.
Her hair is arranged in a sloping mound of individual strands. These are carefully looped and fall down in three distinct tiers. The sections of hair crossing her forehead follow the Prei Khmeng style. The sense of height established by her hair-do is echoed by her slim neck with its incised auspicious beauty lines.
The style of this goddess is typical of the 7th or 8th century. A similar sculpture, which is located in the British Museum, is highlighted in Thai and Cambodian Sculpture by Wolfgang Felten and Martin Lerner, 1989. Also, a photo is attached of a similar Prei Khmeng style male sculpture on exhibit at the Guimet Museum in Paris.
This is an authentic Khmer pre-Angkor sculpture that was purchase in the early 1990’s from a reputable antique shop in Bangkok that I have dealt with for over 30 years.