Cleveland Museum of Art

Male Deity

Date

925–50

Medium

sandstone

Culture

Cambodia, Koh Ker-Khleong style, 10th century

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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. This male deity seems to be striding with his left leg advanced subtly forward.

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