Lot 60. A sandstone figure of a female deity, possibly Durga, Cambodia, Angkor Period, Koh Ker style, 10th century; 90cm (35 1/2in) high. (2). Estimate 150 000 € - 200 000. Sold for 277 575 €. Crédit photo Fabrice Gousset.

The robust figure stands in samabhanga, elegantly carved with hour-glass form torso, with full breast above delicately incised lines to indicate slight rolls of skin and sumptuous wide hips. She wears a long straight garment (sampot) flaring slightly at the bottom, with a large curling flap and incised vertical lines to indicate the fine pleats, stand.

Provenance: Robert Rousset, Paris (1901-1981), acquired from Smit Gallery, Bangkok, 19 April 1965
Jean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021).

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Sherman Lee, Ancient Cambodian Sculpture, Asia House Gallery, New York, October 1969, p.50, no.12.

Note: The Koh Ker temple complex, approximately 80km northeast of Angkor, was the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928-944 under the kings Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II. Koh Ker's sculptural style is distinct from those developed in Angkor's immediate vicinity. The stone sculpture, often monumental in size, is imbued with a heightened sense of movement and a suppleness of form. The broad flap of pleated fabric that hangs over the sash at the waist, a fashion which first appeared in the last quarter of the ninth century, then became the convention in the tenth century during the Koh Ker period and can also be seen on the male figure from Banteay Srei.

Given the dominance of the Shaivite cult throughout the Koh Ker temple complex, it is most likely that this four-armed figure would have been Durga – the wrathful female aspect of Shiva. Compare with the complete cast bronze figure of Durga in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1996.27), and another fragmentary figure described as Durga in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2003.605). Also compare with another female deity in the Linden-Museum, Stuttgart.

The hieratic monumentality of this rare female deity is balanced against the soft fleshy skin and flair of the curling flap that Jean Boisselier, in his review of Koh Ker sculptural style (Asie du Sud-Est, 1966, p.248) characterised as 'dynamic equilibrium'.

Le complexe de temples de Koh Ker, situé à environ 80 km au nord-est d'Angkor, a été la capitale de l'empire khmer de 928 à 944 sous les rois Jayavarman IV et Harshavarman II. Le style sculptural de Koh Ker est distinct de ceux développés dans le voisinage immédiat d'Angkor. La sculpture en pierre, souvent de taille monumentale, est imprégnée d'un sens aigu du mouvement et d'une souplesse des formes. Le large pan d'étoffe plissée qui pend sur la ceinture à la taille, une mode apparue dans le dernier quart du IXe siècle, puis devenue la convention au Xe siècle pendant la période Koh Ker, est également visible sur la statue masculine de Bantreay Srei.

Compte tenu de la prédominance du culte shivaïte dans l'ensemble du complexe de temples de Koh Ker, il est fort probable que cette statue à quatre bras soit Durga, l'aspect féminin courroucé de Shiva. Comparée avec la fonte complète de Durga en bronze du Musée d'art de Cleveland (1996.27), et avec une autre statue fragmentaire décrite comme étant Durga au Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2003.605). Comparée également avec une autre divinité féminine au Musée Linden, Stuttgart.

La monumentalité hiératique de cette rare divinité féminine est contrebalancée par la douceur de la peau charnue et l'élasticité du rabat enroulé que Jean Boisselier, dans son analyse du style sculptural de Koh Ker (Asie du Sud-Est, 1966, p.248), qualifie d'« équilibre dynamique ».

Bonhams. The Robert and Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting - Part 1. Paris, 25 october 2022.