ticketsMember | Make a donation

Brahma

first quarter of the 10th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 249
This representation of Brahma, the Brahmanical god of creation and ancestor of all universes, is understood to be omnipresent. Hence he is depicted with four faces and four arms, evoking his universality. Brahma’s skirt-cloth (sampot) is in the Bakheng style, widely favored in the early tenth century and named after sculptures associated with the Bakheng temple. It is knee length, is drawn up between the legs and secured at the back, and has distinctive pleated “double-anchor,” or “fishtail,” pendants in front. The piled-up dreadlock hair (jatamukuta) is multifaceted to reflect the four faces it serves, and is secured with a string of pearls; each face of Brahma wears a large diadem, and a speckled treatment of the lower face indicates that he is bearded. This sculpture would have occupied a subsidiary shrine at a temple complex dedicated in all likelihood to Shiva.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Brahma
  • Period: Angkor period
  • Date: first quarter of the 10th century
  • Culture: Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 47 1/2 in. (120.7 cm); W. 21 in. (53.3 cm); D. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1936
  • Object Number: 36.96.3
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Buddha, Sandstone, Cambodia or Vietnam
Buddha
Cambodia or Vietnam
mid-7th century
Harihara, Sandstone, Cambodia or Vietnam
Harihara
Cambodia or Vietnam
late 7th–early 8th century
Antefix with Kneeling Guardian, Reddish sandstone, Cambodia
Antefix with Kneeling Guardian
Cambodia
third quarter of the 10th century
Standing Female Deity, probably Durga, Stone, Cambodia or Vietnam
Standing Female Deity, probably Durga
Cambodia or Vietnam
ca. last quarter of the 7th century–early 8th century
Standing Ganesha, Stone, Cambodia
Standing Ganesha
Cambodia
second half 7th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 5

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.