Cleveland Museum of Art

Enthroned planetary deity

Date

850–75

Medium

Sandstone

Culture

Central Vietnam (Champa), Quang Nam province, Dong Duong monastery

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Enthroned Planetary Deity is a powerful presence about three feet tall, made of a light-colored sandstone. He is a personification of one of the nine planets that protected a Buddhist temple; the short dagger in his left hand along with the mustache and stylized furrowed brow refer to his role as a fierce protector. His posture is that of royal ease, and his crown, massive earrings, and throne also mark him as a king of the heavens. The mark on his forehead refers to his association with enlightened beings. The meaning of a planetary deity as a guardian pertains to the consecration of the temple at a time when the planets were correctly aligned with the stars, so that the site and devotees will be protected from misfortune. The “face of glory” ( kirtimukha ) on the carved relief panel in front of his pedestal is an image pertaining to the creative energy ( shakti ) that is emitted from the temple itself; it spits jewels and vegetal motifs that connote abundance and prosperity that will accrue to the worshipers who come to the temple. This sculpture is one of the rare surviving examples from the Cham culture of central and southern Vietnam. It is documented to have come from the Dong Duong monastery, dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism. Sanskrit dedicatory inscriptions show that the temple and monastery complex at Dong Duong founded in 875.

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