ticketsMember | Make a donation

Vishnu

ca. late 5th–6th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This is the earliest known Vishnu figure from southern Cambodia. It is sculpted in the round but retains a backplate for the lower half, giving the appearance of high relief. The lower left hand holds a conch shell, Vishnu’s war trumpet, against the hip. This early feature links the icon to Indian prototypes identified first in Kushana-era northern India and later in Andhra Pradesh in the south, one likely source for Southeast Asian sculptors. This sculpture is a reminder that the greater Mekong region was a second epicenter of early Vishnu production, along with peninsular Thailand.

cat. no. 57

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Vishnu
  • Period: Pre-Angkor period
  • Date: ca. late 5th–6th century
  • Culture: Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. (incl. tenon) 37 3/8 in. (95 cm); W. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm); D. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm); Wt. 305 lbs (138.3 kg); Tenon: H. 7 1/16 in. (18 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh (Ka.1599)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art