Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhist ritual conch shell with a dancing Hevajra

Khmer artist

Date

12th-13th century

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Khmer

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This bronze takes the form of a conch shell, a vessel used in both Buddhist and Hindu rituals. Blown at the beginning of ceremonies, the instrument makes the sound of the sacred syllable “Om, ” believed to purify the mind before meditation. Buddhism and Hinduism were often practiced side by side in the kingdoms of Southeast Asia; however, Hinduism was the official religion of Khmer kings until the conversion to Buddhism of Jayavarman VII (reign c. 1181–1218), after which Buddhist art flourished. The embellished bronze features a dancing, multiheaded Hevajra, a key deity in Vajrayana Buddhism, a sect that emphasizes ritual as a means to enlightenment. Cambodia

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