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Shiva

mid- 7th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 245
Sculptures of Shiva in human form began to appear in Khmer art in the seventh century, probably in response to the rising popularity of the Vaishnava cult that celebrated Vishnu as a king-like divinity, accessible and benign. The slim, almost adolescent figure displays a disconcerting realism in the modeling of the pectoral muscles and the subtle suggestion of the underlying ribcage. Yet the face is strong and authoritative—the face of a stern god—with a mustache, full lips, and strong arched eyebrows. A vertical third eye marks the forehead.

cat. no. 90

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shiva
  • Period: pre-Angkor period
  • Date: mid- 7th century
  • Culture: Vietnam or Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 24 in. (61 cm); W. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm); D. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1987
  • Object Number: 1987.17
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Standing Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, Gilt bronze, Vietnam
Standing Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion
Vietnam
ca. 7th century
Standing Shiva or Temple Guardian (Dvarapala), Stone, Vietnam (Champa)
Standing Shiva or Temple Guardian (Dvarapala)
Vietnam (Champa)
ca. first half of the 10th century
Head of Shiva (lingakosha), Gold and silver repoussé, Vietnam (Champa, probably Quang Nam Province)
Head of Shiva (lingakosha)
Vietnam (Champa, probably Quang Nam Province)
late 9th–10th century
Seated Buddha, Sandstone, Vietnam
Seated Buddha
Vietnam
7th–8th century
Yaksha, possibly Kubera, Sandstone, Vietnam
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Vietnam
late 6th–early 7th century

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Shiva - Vietnam or Southern Cambodia - pre-Angkor period - The Metropolitan Museum of Art