Southeast Asia, Khmer Empire (Angkor culture), ca. 12th century CE. A masterful lost-wax cast bronze figure of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu, created by artisans at the Khmer court. She stands on a small square stand that was cast as part of the statue, wearing an ornate skirt and belt, wearing a variety of necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and earrings and a large headdress. She has four arms, holding a discus, a conch, a mango, and a closed lotus flower. Size: 3.75" W x 10" H (9.5 cm x 25.4 cm)

The details are remarkable on this figure, especially of her ornament and clothing. In the Khmer style, these details are three-dimensional, suggesting that she was made to be viewed from all angles and perhaps placed in the center of a room. She has a rich appearance, doubtless based on what elite women at the Khmer court would have worn themselves. While this artwork was religious - priests supervised its execution - its realism is unmistakable and some scholars believe that gods and goddesses were portrayed with the features of individual members of the royal court. This sculpture and others like it would have both emphasized the power of the monarchy and given high ranking people joy - after all, who wouldn't want to see themselves portrayed by the finest artisans, compared to a goddess? Lakshmi was a fitting choice, as she is the goddess of wealth of all kinds - not just material wealth, but also the wealth of fame and family.

Provenance: Ex- Private Az collection, ex San Francisco collection

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#118798

Light green, smooth patina overall; details are excellent