Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Antiquities and Modern and Contemporary Fine Arts | June 2015

Prasat Andet Style from Khmer, Pre-Angkorian Period Durga from the Prasat Andet Syle, Pre-Angkorian Period (657-681) Fine-grained sandstone,mounted on a slim base, Late 7th century 19.5 x 8.7 x 2.8 in (49.5 x 22.1 x 7.0 cm) Provenance The Osian’s Collection; purchased from Sotheby’s, New York in 2006 ` 3,000,000 – 4,500,000 US 50,000 – 75,000 GBP 30,000 – 45,000 Antiquity / A.S.I. Registered A.S.I. No. DHL-I 007271 Non-Exportable Item Some of the leading antiquity collector-dealers, such as Doris Weiner, Anthony Tucker, John Eskenazi, among others, have in the past offered Pre-Angkorian period artworks, such as Durga or Vishnu, to Auction Houses or privately over the past decade. Today such artworks have become increasingly rare to find. “The oldest known Khmer stone sculptures date to the early 6th century and were found in cave temples which were carved into the side of Phnom Da, a small hill near Angkor Borei. Angkor Borei, today a small town in the Mekong Delta region, was a major city- centre within what is thought to have been the first large-scale centralised Khmer state (c.1st-6th century; often called ‘Funan’ as it was denoted in Chinese annals of the period). The Phnom Da sculptures were carved from single blocks of fine-grained sandstone and depict both Buddhist and Hindu divinities. Although the sculptures reveal traditional Indian stylistic influences, one can also see that the Khmer artists strove to break away from their mentors. Moving away from the Indian tradition of sculpting in high-relief, the Khmers attempted to make free-standing statues, supported by an arch or by an attribute of the divinity (such as a piece of clothing or a hand-held object). 1 A RARE AND IMPORTANT KHMER PRE-ANGKORIAN PERIOD 7TH CENTURY SCULPTURE OF DURGA, REPRESENTING THE INFLUENCE OF HINDUISM IN CAMBODIA In the 7th and 8th centuries, the power base shifted north to the plains east of the Tonle Sap Lake. Funan’s dominance ended when King Isanavarman I established the first capital of this new power centre (called ‘Zhenla’) at ‘Ishanapura’ (Sambor) in present day Kompong Thom province. In the 8th century, Zhenla was divided into two competing powers, ‘Land Zhenla’ and ‘Water Zhenla’. This situation remained until Jayavarman II set up a capital on Mount Mahendraparvata (Phnom Kulen) in the Angkor region in 802 and successfully unified the Khmer people. The majority of the sculptures from Zhenla and Funan depict Vishnu, while another popular deity, Shiva, is usually symbolised by a linga (stone phallus). Pre-Angkorian sculptors often combined these two Hindu divinities into one deity, called Harihara. Statues of Buddha and other Buddhist divinities were also popular with pre-Angkorian artists of both Funan and Zhenla. The Zhenla period saw an increase in relief carvings on stone lintels and pediments.” Reprinted from http://www.cambodiamuseum.info/ en_khmer_art_history.html THE PRE-ANGKORIAN PERIOD (2nd half of the 6th century – beginning of the 9th century) Phnom Da Style (514-600) Sambor Prei Kuk Style (600-650) Prei Khmeng Style (635-700) Prasat Andet Style (657-681) Kompong Preah Style (706-800) Reprinted from: https://antiqueheaven.wordpress.com/the-pre- angkorian-period/ 24