Standing Shiva (?)

Cambodia

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 249

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 was 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 — the figure may portray Shiva in anthropomorphic form, an unusual representation in Khmer art. It is possible that the sculpture served a dual purpose, representing primarily a cult icon for worship in a royal sanctuary and also acting as an ancestor image of a deceased ruler.

#8012. Standing Shiva

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Standing Shiva (?), Gilt-copper alloy, silver inlay, Cambodia

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