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12. Jayavarman as Buddharaja Cambodia Bayon, circa 1200 AD Bronze, cast in the lost wax method height 47 cm. |
Jayavarman VII (r. 1181–1220) was one of the greatest and most productive kings of the Khmer Empire. He married Jayarajadevi and after her death, wed her sister Indradevi. The two women are commonly thought to have been a great inspiration to him, particularly in his devotion to Buddhism. He expanded the empire to its largest territorial extent and engaged in a building programme that produced numerous temples, highways, rest houses, and hospitals. This has contributed to a legend of the Buddharaja, the ‘King-Buddha’, who regarded compassion as the mainstay of kingship. The Raja is seated in virasana on a flat throne. He wears a sanghati robe that leaves his right shoulder and arm uncovered and a shawl is draped over his left shoulder. None the less, his elongated earlobes betray his royal origins. Tightly gathered tresses are drawn back from his temples and brow to cover the ushnisa, the symbol that denotes wisdom. Despite the ascetic attire the Buddharaja is not without royal adornment as his coiffure incorporates jewelled chains and diadems at the front, back, and sides. Lotus petals are also set in his hair and ushnisa, symbolizing purity and spiritual elevation. The King-Buddha’s right hand is in bhumisparsamudra, his left hand rests in his lap in the gesture of contemplation. In 1177 the Chams invaded Cambodia, launching a surprise attack on the Khmer capital by sailing a fleet up the Mekong River, across Lake Tonle Sap, and then up the Siem Reap River. The invaders pillaged the capital, Yasodharapura, and put the king to death. Jayavarman led a Khmer army that ousted the Chams and in 1181 was crowned king himself. In the course of his reign, which lasted almost forty years, Jayavarman caused the building of both public works and monuments. As a Mahayana Buddhist, he sought to alleviate the suffering of his people, and so focused on useful constructions. He also built a large number of temples, including two in honour of his parents: ‘Ta Prohm’ for his mother and ‘Preah Khan’ for his father. Finally, he constructed his own ‘temple-mountain’ at Bayon and developed the city of Angkor Thom around it. This portrait of the King embodies all the typical stylistic characteristics of the Bayon period and may have inspired the Lopburi style which dates of the same period and exhibits similar features. The facial expression of the present bronze is closely related to a number of known stone portraits of the king himself. This important bronze portrait reveals fine individual physical traits rendered by superb modelling. With striking volume and a powerful movement of the arms this classic sculpture discloses its lively aspect. The realistic face of the ‘King-Buddha’ wears a serene expression and resembles the portraits of Jayarvarman VII, an ideal image of the popular monarch of his time. This rare masterpiece of khmer art is probably the largest known bronze example depicting the king as buddha. Provenance: Private collection, U.S.A. Art Loss Register Certificate Reference S00007755. Thermoluminescense Authenticity Test, c/o Department of Physics & Materials Science, CPS Ltd, Ref. 01900. Condition Report by Faltermeier conservation & restoration, Reg. #53002889A. J. Boisselier, Asie du Sud-Est, Le Cambodge, I, 1966, pl. 38 and La Sculpture en Thailande, 1974, p. 113 and p. 117. H. Jessup and T. Zéphir, Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia, Millennium of Glory, 1997, fig. 89, fig. 90 and fig. 91. N. Dalsheimer, Les Collections du Musée National de Phnom Penh. L’Art du Cambodge Ancien, 2001, fig. 146. |