This figure is the most intact metal image surviving from Angkor. It belongs to a small group of metal sculptures of Hindu deities associated with royal cult practices that have been discovered in Khmer territories in Cambodia and northeastern Thailand. Although it defies ready identification— the gesturing hands neither conform to a standard iconographic mudra nor hold key attributes—it may portray Shiva in anthropomorphic form, an unusual representation in Khmer art. It is possible that it served a dual purpose, representing primarily a cult icon for worship in a royal sanctuary but also acting as an ancestor image of a deceased ruler.
