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Hevajra Khmer art, second half of the 12th century
Cambodia …
See original version (French)
44
-
Hevajra Khmer art, second half of the 12th century
Cambodia …
See original version (French)
Estimate €35,000 - €40,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Hevajra
Khmer art, second half of the 12th century
Cambodia or neighbouring countries
Gilded bronze Height 25 cm
Provenance
- Christie's Amsterdam sale, 3 November 1998,
lot 152
- Acquired at this sale by its current
owner
- Featured in the exhibition "Bronzes royaux d'Angkor
- An Art of the Divine" held at the Musée Guimet (Paris)
from 30 April to 8 September 2025, reproduced in the
catalogue under no. 96
Bibliography:
- Pierre Baptiste and Thierry Zéphir: "L'Art Khmer
dans les collections du musée Guimet", Réunion des Musées
des Musées Nationaux 2008
- Helen I. Jesup and Thierry Zéphir: "Angkor and Ten Centuries of Khmer Art
centuries of Khmer Art" Catalogue of the exhibition
held at the Grand Palais (Paris) from 31 January
26 May 1997 and at the National Gallery of Art
(Washington) from 29 June to 28 September 1997.
- Pierre Baptiste, David Bourgarit, Brice Vincent and
Thierry Zéphir "Bronzes royaux d'Angkor - Un art du
divin", catalogue of the exhibition held at the Musée
Guimet Museum (Paris) from 30 April to 8 September 2025 A major divinity of Tantric Buddhism, the god Hevajra, traditionally
traditionally referred to in Khmer inscriptions as Vajrin, i.e. "he who possesses the vajra".
vajra", is represented here in his most classic guise as Kapâladhara, "bearer of the vajra".
Kapâladhara, or "cranial cap bearer".
Standing in a dancing posture, ardhaparyanka, he is supported by his two left legs
legs, the two right legs being raised. Note here the subtlety of Khmer
Khmer artists in the very discreet demarcation of the two pairs of legs.
the two pairs of legs.
Initially, he was supposed to trample on the four Maras, or the main obstacles preventing
from attaining enlightenment, the representation of which was to be fixed to the lotiform base
which has now disappeared.
The eight pairs of outstretched arms end in hands supporting sixteen
skull caps containing animals and divinities. In the right hands
right hands are an elephant, a horse, a donkey, an ox
a camel, a man, a fabulous animal (stronger than the elephant) named
sarabha, and a cat. In the left hands, the caps house Dhanada, the god of wealth
Antaka, or Yama, the judge of the dead, the sun, the moon, and the four elements
elements, Tejas (fire), Vayu (air), Varuna (water) and Prthvi (earth).
The god has eight heads, arranged in three superimposed registers.
The Buddha, Lokeshvara and Vajrapani are represented in the first register.
four jina associated with their respective orients, Akshobhya in the East, Ratnasambhava in the South
in the South, Amitabha in the West, Amoghasiddhi in the North, and in the third register,
the fifth jina, Vairocana, associated with the zenith. This arrangement of heads
symbolises the universal nature of Hevajra's Buddha nature.
In addition to the beautiful dancing posture and the subtle arrangement of the eight pairs of arms
arms framing the bust and head, it is worth noting the rarity of Khmer metal
that have retained their original gilding.
Bibliography:
For other representations of Hevajra that have retained their gilding
- Miniature shrine of Hevajra H. 20.5 cm from the National Museum of Cambodia in
Phnom-Penh (Inv. Ga 2494) reproduced under no. 102 in the exhibition catalogue
"Angkor and Ten Centuries of Khmer Art" exhibition held at the Grand Palais (Paris) from 31 January to
26 May 1997 and at the National Gallery of Art (Washington) from 29 June to 28
September 1997.
- Hevajra H. 15,5 cm conserved at the Musée Guimet (Inv. MA 849) reproduced by Pierre
Baptiste and Thierry Zéphir in "L'Art Khmer dans les collections du musée Guimet".
Guimet" Réunion des Musées Nationaux 2008, number 92 page 303.
- Hevajra H. 31.5 cm, no. 163, Christie's Amsterdam sale 10 December 2002
- Hevajra H. 22,5 cm from the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom-Penh (Inv. Ga 4170)
reproduced under no. 97 in the exhibition catalogue "Bronzes royaux d'Angkor - Un art du divin
Un art du divin", catalogue of the exhibition held at the Musée Guimet (Paris) from 30 April to
April to 8 September 2025:
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits:
DIGARD AUCTION
See original version (French)
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