A RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF RADIATING... Lot n° 353

A RARE AND LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF RADIATING LOKESHVARA, KHMER EMPIRE, ANGKOR PERIOD Late 12th to early 13th century. Boldly carved, the round face with a serene expression, framed by a prominent hairline and flanked by elongated earlobes, with heavy-lidded eyes, thick brows, and full bow-shaped lips. The hair neatly arranged in a high chignon, secured by a string of beads and centered by a diminutive figure of the Buddha Amitabha. The body with eight arms, the upper body and arms covered in bands of small buddhas with larger buddhas placed at the center of his chest and back, as well as above his short pleated sampot secured by a broad belt above the anchor-shaped fold. Provenance: From an old Belgian private collection. Acquired before 1970 and thence by descent in the family. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, few structural cracks, chips, nicks, scratches. Weight: 104 kg (total) Dimensions: Height 125 cm (excl. stand) and 135 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on an associated metal stand. (2) Lokeshvara appears in inscriptions from the Khmer Empire as ‘Lord of the Worlds’. Known from the earliest days of Khmer art, it was however during the reign of the Buddhist king Jayavarman VII (1182-1220), that the cult of Lokeshvara enjoyed its greatest popularity. The present figure is characterized by its eight arms and a skin whose pores exude Buddhas that will transmit the benefits of Buddhism to the whole of creation. This radiant chainmail effect symbolizes the universality of Buddhist compassion, in all directions of space and in all worlds. Torso, arms and even hair are entirely covered with a myriad of small images of meditating Buddhas, suggesting the intense compassionate radiance of this bodhisattva and his cosmic character. Masked beneath its envelope of tiny Buddhas, the torso appears slender and elegant, while the legs have a certain robustness typical for sculptures from the reign of Jayavarman VII. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related figure of Radiating Lokeshvara, also dated late 12th to early 13th century, in the Musée Guimet, accession number MG 18139, included in the exhibition Angkir Naissance d’un mythe. Louis Delaporte et le Cambodge, 16 October 2013-13 January 2014. Compare a closely related torso of Radiating Lokeshvara in the Honolulu Museum of Art, accession number 4483.1.