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Durga Mahishasuramardini

late 7th–early 8th 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.
Durga as the slayer of the buffalo demon was a popular cult in early Brahmanical Cambodia, where she was consistently represented in a benign, not wrathful, form. The goddess has a firm, youthful body and wears a skirt with a triple fan at the front. Her allegiance to Vishnu is conveyed by her wearing Vishnu’s crown and sometimes made explicit by the display of his conch shell and discus. The polished finish and the sculptor’s command of form create an image of great beauty. Robed and jeweled in a dimly lit sanctuary, she would have been an awesome presence.

cat. no. 66

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Durga Mahishasuramardini
  • Period: Pre-Angkor period
  • Date: late 7th–early 8th century
  • Culture: Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. (incl. tenon) 42 1/2 in. (108 cm); W. 16 1/2 in. (42 cm); D. 6 1/4 in. (16 cm); Wt. 122 lbs (55.3 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh (Ka.1631)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art