Cleveland Museum of Art

Head of a Deity or a Deified King

Date

mid-900s

Medium

sandstone

Culture

Cambodia, Koh Ker, Reign of Jayavarman IV, 928-941

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The diadem is depicted tied to the intricate tiered headdress worn only by a god or king. Without further attributes, the identity cannot be known. Khmer sculptors of the 10th century emphasized powerful forms and extroverted expressions. The incised pupils suggest that this sculpture underwent the ritual of awakening, in which the eyes were added last. The royal head on the left is from a temple dedicated to Shiva, which was established by the Khmer king Jayavarman IV (928–942) in his remote capital of Koh Ker, 100 miles north of Angkor.

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