STATUETTE DE DIKPALAKA AGENOUILLÉ EN GRÈS
Cambodge, style du Baphuon, XIe siècle

A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A KNEELING DIKPALAKA
Cambodia, Baphuon style, 11th century
Characteristic of Baphuon period the hair is arranged in a rounded sphere of braids and a conforming topknot secured by a string of rudraksha beads. His face with delicate features and fleshy bifid lower lip. He kneels upon a lotus platform wearing a pleated sampot with a fish-tail tie at the back, stand. 35.5cm (14in) high. (2).
Footnotes:
Provenance:
Swiss private collection, circa 1925 (by repute)
French private collection
Loudmer auction, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 18 December 1996, lot 277
Jean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021), acquired at the above sale

Dikpalaka, are also known as Lokpala (the worldly guardians). In Southeast Asia, the depiction of Dikpalaka and Navagriha in Khmer art was usually presented in the form of nine-deity panels. These included four deities associated with planets: Surya, Chandra, Rahu and Ketu, and then the five Dikpala: Indra, Kubera, Yama, Varuna and Agni.

It is likely that this Dikpalaka was from a sculptural mandala, the circular arrangement of Hindu sacred objects, with a principal god at the centre. The well-defined vertical third-eye would indicate affiliation with Shiva, but in the absence of a defined attribute in his remaining hand or the vehicle that would been place below, the designation is not clear. A closely related figure in the National Museum Phnom Phen (N.Dalsheimer, L'art du Cambodge ancien, Paris 2001, p.136, no.58) in the same posture and sampot style is described as Shiva. Also, compare the facial type with an example in the Musee Guimet, Paris (MG 18949).

A unique feature of this figure is the presence of a skeletal defect on his back to create the impression of a 'hunchback'. This is a very rare representation of this human defect that is shared with a small number of examples. For a full discussion and examples from Ankor area, see L.Malleret, 'Bossus et Nains dans la sculpture en Extrême-Orient,' in Arts asiatiques, vol.20, 1969, pp.121-133, pls.III-IV.

柬埔寨 巴方風格 十一世紀 砂岩方位護法像

來源：
瑞士私人收藏，約1925年（傳）
法國私人收藏
Loudmer拍賣行，Hotêl Drouot，巴黎，1996年12月18日，編號277
巴黎Jean-Pierre Rousset（1936-2021）舊藏，得自上述拍賣

Overall in good condition, with loss of right arm, earlobes and fingers of the right hand. The head was reattached to the body, with a repaired crack line across the neck, and with associated tiny losses to the back of the crack. An element next to the left side of the left thigh is broken and missing. Losses and small dents to the raised details. Mounted on a wooden base.

Please contact Jing Wen (jing.wen@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.