Antique Angkor Wat Style Khmer Sandstone Standing
An antique Angkor Wat style stone standing Vishnu torso. Vishnu is both world protector and preserver, restorer of moral order - he is all-powerful and all-pervasive by nature.Â
The sculpture embodies authority with its iconic downcast gaze and large unexpressive face. The general silhouette is heavier. The carving is beautiful as you can see in the fine details of the face. Each detail is rendered perfectly. The features suggest the prana, or inner breath, that signifies superhuman power.  The figure is clad in traditional Khmer Dhoti.
The art of Angkor Wat is in many ways in opposition to that of the preceding Baphuon style. The style is a return to frontality and hieratism. The shoulders are larger, the torso swells to a heavy and conventional shape evoking the aesthetic of the early tenth century; affirming a hieratism without moderation. Yet the sculpture is not submitted to strict iconographic norms, the statue loses stiffness and becomes more human.Â
The sculpture is a free standing form, in the round. It is clear that the artist anticipated this sculpture being enjoyed from all sides.
The Vishnu is loose mounted on a wood base (later).Â
Provenance: Ex- private Singapore Collection.
Provenance: Private Singapore Collection
Medium: Stone
Dimensions: 95cm / 38”
General Condition: Good condition. Consistent with age.
SCST354
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An antique Angkor Wat style stone standing Vishnu torso. Vishnu is both world protector and preserver, restorer of moral order - he is all-powerful and all-pervasive by nature.Â
The sculpture embodies authority with its iconic downcast gaze and large unexpressive face. The general silhouette is heavier. The carving is beautiful as you can see in the fine details of the face. Each detail is rendered perfectly. The features suggest the prana, or inner breath, that signifies superhuman power.  The figure is clad in traditional Khmer Dhoti.
The art of Angkor Wat is in many ways in opposition to that of the preceding Baphuon style. The style is a return to frontality and hieratism. The shoulders are larger, the torso swells to a heavy and conventional shape evoking the aesthetic of the early tenth century; affirming a hieratism without moderation. Yet the sculpture is not submitted to strict iconographic norms, the statue loses stiffness and becomes more human.Â
The sculpture is a free standing form, in the round. It is clear that the artist anticipated this sculpture being enjoyed from all sides.
The Vishnu is loose mounted on a wood base (later).Â
Provenance: Ex- private Singapore Collection.
Provenance: Private Singapore Collection
Medium: Stone
Dimensions: 95cm / 38”
General Condition: Good condition. Consistent with age.
SCST354
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
