Cambodia Angkor Wat: Ancient statue unearthed

[Roma_Victrix]

Cambodia Angkor Wat: Ancient statue unearthed

Archaeologists at Cambodia's celebrated Angkor Wat temple complex have unearthed a large statue believed to date back to the late 12th century.
The 2m (6.5ft) sandstone human figure probably functioned as a guardian who stood at the entrance to an ancient hospital, researchers say.
The Cambodia Daily described Saturday's find as "like something that only happens in the movies".
Angkor Wat is one of south-east Asia's most popular tourist destinations.
Last year the complex - which was built over different periods of the Khmer empire from the ninth to the 15th centuries - attracted about 2.5 million visitors.
But many of the complex's most valuable items have been looted.
Experts say that is why the latest find is so extraordinary. It is described as the most important statue to have been found at Angkor in recent years.
Archaeologists found the statue buried 40cm (16in) underground while excavating a hospital built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII who reigned from 1181 to around 1220.
The king had a reputation for social programmes, with the hospital being one of the most prominent.

Pretty cool! I wonder if their guardian statue tradition is related to the Chinese, Korean and Japanese precedents.

[Cyclops]

I imagine it is fairly strongly influenced by the civilisations of South Asia (ie what is now India). IIRC the Tamils and other Indian cultures traded extensively through the spice islands and Indo China and established a very strong cultural influence on the region ( establishing Hindu temples that still function in Bali), and while various Chinese dynasties had contact into places like Dai Viet from quite early on they were relative late-comers to the wider SE Asian sphere.

From my very slight academic acquaintance of ancient Indian culture (one first year subject about twenty years ago) I'd guess that statue is very "Indian" looking, from the slightly plumpish form to the head-dress.

China (and through China Korea, Japan and other Chinese cultural colonies) was itself a recipient of Indian culture through central Asia mostly (most famously Buddhism and its attendant forms): if the statue reminds you of Chinese examples its possible that's because China and SE Asia are both heir to a great burden of sub-Continental religious culture.

[Roma_Victrix]

Good post, but perhaps I didn't explain my argument/question well enough. I wasn't referring to the style of art embodied in the statue, the provenance of which is most certainly ancient South Asian (i.e. Indian subcontinent). No. I was talking about the function of the statue as a guardian for the realm of the dead. That is very much an East Asian thing and I'm not so sure it is a Hindu thing. Or at least I'm not familiar enough with Hindu art and religion to know if it was a regular feature of Hindu cultures. It would be interesting to know if the Cambodians of Angkor Wat were somehow influenced by Chinese religious concepts about evil spirits and such, while still retaining their Hindu faith.

[Cyclops]

Good post, but perhaps I didn't explain my argument/question well enough. I wasn't referring to the style of art embodied in the statue, the provenance of which is most certainly ancient South Asian (i.e. Indian subcontinent). No. I was talking about the function of the statue as a guardian for the realm of the dead. That is very much an East Asian thing and I'm not so sure it is a Hindu thing. Or at least I'm not familiar enough with Hindu art and religion to know if it was a regular feature of Hindu cultures. It would be interesting to know if the Cambodians of Angkor Wat were somehow influenced by Chinese religious concepts about evil spirits and such, while still retaining their Hindu faith.

There's definitely guardian statues in the Hindu religious tradition, with Yakshas and other guardian spirits depicted in stone, but that's hardly an exclusively South Asian theme. Egypt has its sphinxes, the Assyrians had their Cherubim, Notre Dame has its gargoyles and Celtic Church Irish chapels have their...erm...

NSFW wtf srsly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheela_na_gig

There's some grotesque lions outside Chinese temples in Australia, I wonder how old that tradition is? I imagine that's the same sort of thing.

[Roma_Victrix]

Lol. Good points, and thank you for sharing the NSFW stuff.