Male Deity

Description

The distinctive swath of pleated cloth and the anchor-shaped ends of the lower garment suggest that this sculpture was made when this method of wrapping the sampot was fashionable. During that time, Cambodian temples were dedicated to Hindu deities, whose images were dramatically installed alone on a pedestal in a temple's sanctum. When consecrated, gold tokens were installed under the pedestal; many sculptures were broken when people toppled them to get the gold.

Provenance

Private Collection, Europe (1968–1994); (John Eskenazi Ltd., London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1994); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1994–)

Male Deity

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925–50

Accession Number

1994.202

Medium

sandstone

Dimensions

Overall: 135 cm (53 1/8 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund