Female deity; Cambodia, Khmer Empire, Pre-Angkor Period, Kulen Style, 802-875.

Female deity; Cambodia, Khmer Empire, Pre-Angkor Period, Kulen Style, 802-875.
Sandstone.
Measurements: 86 x 27 x 14 cm; 91 cm (height with pedestal).
Carved sandstone sculpture representing a female deity with a naked torso and headdress. It is probably the representation of the goddess Durga, the "inaccessible" or "invincible". It is one of the manifestations of Devi, the supreme goddess, and is usually represented with multiple arms, sometimes riding a lion or a tiger, carrying both weapons and flowers in her hands.
During the reign of Jayavarman II, the territory was finally unified and the Khmer Kingdom was consolidated as a strong and secure entity. The cities of Mahendraparvata (today's Phnom Kulen) and Hariharalaya (today known as Roluos) were the main centers of power under his rule. This period saw the emergence of the Kulen style, a transitional art form that marked the transition from the pre-Angkorian period to the Angkorian period. Sculpture became more formal and less naturalistic. The figures showed solid bodies and marked torsos; the faces were square and balanced, with the weight of the body resting on the left leg while the right leg was slightly forward. Unlike earlier times, a supporting arch was no longer needed to maintain the stability of the statues. In addition, the first royal headdresses appeared, symbols of royalty that would become a characteristic feature of later Angkorian art.
It is generally accepted that this period begins with the fall of Fu-nan and ends, not with the founding of Angkor, which did not take place until the last years of the ninth century, but with the introduction (in the first half of the ninth century) of the rites on which the Angkor monarchy would be based. The oldest (Buddhist) images are not earlier than the middle of the 6th century. The somewhat later Brahmanic monuments (early 7th century and later period) already show some of the traditional characteristics of Khmer architecture. Only a few outstanding examples of pre-Angkorian art exist. This period marks the beginnings of the Khmer world, in which a distinctive personality is gradually asserted, although generally still under foreign influences. Belief in the cult of the "god-king" does not yet exist. However, the art of this period lays the foundations of sculptural symbolism and inaugurates architectural forms that will be reused and improved later. Pre-Angkorian statuary shows an Indian influence, but the anatomical representation is less dramatic.