Malachite

Pre-Khmer , 7th century

Dimensions: Height 14 cm Width 9 cm Depth 5 cm

Weight: 413 grams

Seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular plinth, the hands in dhyanamudra, the face with downcast eyes below gently arched eyebrows, flanked by two elongated ears, the hair in tight curls, surmounted by an ushnisha. Left ear slightly broken. Extensive wear, some losses and cracks, traces of erosion, minor nicks. Very good condition considering the high age of this statue.

Style of Angkor Borei, Ta Keo region of the Mekong Delta, 7th century.

Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period exhibits the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form.

Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha, dated 7th-8th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1981.462.2.