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HOME :
Asian Art :
Art of Cambodia : Khmer Bronze Sculpture of the Goddess Uma
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Khmer Bronze Sculpture of the Goddess Uma - FZ.384
Origin: Cambodia
Circa: 12
th
Century AD
to 13
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
8.375" (21.3cm) high
Catalogue: V30
Collection: Asian
Medium: Bronze
Additional Information: Korea, SOLD
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
The goddess Uma, also known as
Parvati,
daughter of the mountains, was the
consort
of
Shiva. When she finally attracted
Shiva,
after a
long and physically grueling
courtship, she
shared with her the secrets of the
world, a
conversation that would lead to the
dispersal
of
this elite knowledge amongst the wise.
Shiva’s
exploits were represented on the
relief
carvings
of Angkor Wat, the center of the Khmer
dynasty
and the largest religious monument in
the
world.
Thus, Uma was a favored goddess of
Khmer
artists for her important stature in
the Hindu
hierarchy. This extraordinary bronze
sculpture
depicts the goddess standing straight,
holding a
rolled up scroll in her left hand and
the stem
of a
fragmented plant in her right. She is
adorned by
an elaborate floral diadem and
necklace of
pedal-shaped pendants. The intricate
carving of
her conical coiffure imitates the form
of a
lotus
bulb. Her ears droop down to her
shoulders
from the weight of her ear ornaments.
She
wears
two bands high up on her arms, both
decorated
with rosettes in the center, and two
heavy
anklets just above her feet. Her
voluptuous
torso
is exposed while a long, pleated
sarong
covers
her lower body, supported by a belt
decorated by
suspended leaf-shaped pendants and two
central rosettes. A slight over-fold
wraps
around
her waist and a central sash falls in
two
layers
between her legs, tapering off in a
curving
fishtail shape. The sensuous form of
the
goddess recalls a timeless beauty.
Her
sumptuous jewelry further attests to
this
elegance. It is clear from this
sculpture why
Shiva, the destroyer and recreator of
the
universe, chose to love this woman.
- (FZ.384)
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