Khmer Koh Ker Sandstone Lokeshvara, 10th Century

Closing Sale

Height: 41 inches with the metal stand, 35 inches without the stand
Width: about 16 inches at its widest part
Weight: about 70 pounds

This is a 10th century Khmer sculpture of Avalokiteshvara from the Koh Ker period; in Cambodia he is called Lokeshvara. It is sandstone and is approximately 35 inches tall.

Behind Lokeshvara’s diadem, his hair is drawn into a high chignon encased in a stiff, closely woven covering or mukuta, which is one of the distinctive features of the Bodhisattvas as depicted in Southeast Asia. Against the chignon, above the crown, is seated his Dhyani-Buddha, Amitabha.

Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit means "the Lord who oversees, in Cambodia he was referred to as Lokeshvara or “Lord of the World”. According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokiteshvara is the bodhisattva who has made a great vow to listen to the prayers of all sentient beings in times of difficulty, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he had assisted every being on Earth in achieving nirvana.

He is referred to as Kannon in Japan, Guanyin in China, Quan-am in Vietnam and Chenrezig in Tibet. The Dalai Lama is considered an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara by Tibetan Buddhists. Among the Bodhisattvas, it is Avalokiteshvara who has the largest number of forms and is perhaps the most venerated and most popular Buddhist deity. His sex, originally masculine, is sometimes considered feminine in China and Japan, although this is not supported by canonical text. This may be because men are often tempted to attribute a feminine quality to all the deities who appear to them to be endowed with essentially “feminine” virtues such as compassion, gentleness, and goodness of heart or purity.

This authentic Khmer sculpture is from my personal collection. It was purchased about 25 years ago from a reputable antique dealer in Bangkok that I’ve known for over 30 years. At that time Bangkok was known as the center of trade in authentic Khmer antiquities.

Asian Antiques