Head of a Male Deity (Deva)

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This imposing, colossal head was likely part of an eight-foot-tall kneeling deity from a set of fifty-four statues that lined one side of a causeway leading to one of the five entrances of the imperial Khmer capital of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. At the heart of the city stood the Bayon temple, built during the powerful reign of Jayavarman VII (1181–1218). The statues depict the Hindu cosmic myth of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. On opposite sides of the causeway, both gods ( deva s) and demons ( asura s) hold the giant serpent Vasuki in a tug-of-war to obtain amrita , the nectar of immortality. The gods and demons, while both frowning protectively as they guard the city entrance, are distinguishable by their eyes and headgear. The gods, like the one represented by this head, have almond-shaped eyes, a diadem, long and heavy earrings, and a conical chignon decorated with five rows of lotus leaves. This architectural masterpiece, depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk in three dimensions, can also be found at other sites, including the balustrade bridges leading to the temples of Preah Khan of Angkor and Banteay Chhmar, both from the Bayon period.

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