Banteay Srei style Shiva head; Cambodia, second half of the 10th century.

Banteay Srei style Shiva head; Cambodia, second half of the 10th century.
Limestone.
Work exhibited at Feriarte 2007.
It has very slight damage.
Measurements: 32,5 x 16,5 x 20 cm; 44 x 18 x 17 cm (with base).
Shiva is one of the gods of the Trimurti or main trinity of Hinduism. He is the destroyer god, together with Brahma, creator god, and Vishnu, conservative god, although he does not incarnate the destruction without sense, but that one that also allows the regeneration, the change, the rebirth. Together with his consort Parvati (goddess with double aspect: maternal and demon slayer) he is the father of Ganesha (god of wisdom) and Kartikeia (god of war). In this particular case of the face of this carving it transmits a great dignity based on the symmetry of the features and the delicacy of the carving that is summarized in subtle details of soft carving. The lower part of the neck indicates that this piece was probably originally part of a larger sculpture.
Banteay Srei is a 10th century A.D. Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva and Parvati, located in Angkor. The temple is known for the beauty of its sandstone lintels, sculptures and pediments.The building and sculptures are mostly constructed of hard red sandstone. The sandstone used for such elaborate carvings had to be of extraordinary quality. In fact, red sandstone is a hallmark of the Banteay Srei style, never used in other Angkor styles. Its hardness is also the reason why, even after a millennium, the Banteay Srei carvings are the best preserved examples of Angkorian relief art, almost unchanged, as there is hardly anything eroded.