The New York Times - From Jungle to Museum and Back .... The Kneeling Pandavas In Koh Ker
Supharidh Hy
From Jungle to Museum and Back?
KNEELING ATTENDANTS
(the Pandava brothers)
The Met will return this statue and its twin to Cambodia.
KNEELING ATTENDANTS
(the Pandava brothers)
Eric Bourdonneau, of the French School of Asian Studies, was able to determine which statues could have been included in the two tableaus at Prasat Chen by comparing them to the same mythological scenes depicted in reliefs found at another Khmer temple, Banteay Srei, about 60 miles away. The mural above shows the same scene that was depicted in a tableau of freestanding statues in the western gateway at Prasat Chen.
Surmised original
locations of statues
Prasat Chen’s towers today.
Statues of the two Kneeling Attendants and the two warriors are believed to have come from a tableau in the western “gopura,” or gateway, where their bases, some including feet, can still be seen.
Statues of Rama and of a kneeling monkey-headed figure are thought to have once stood in the eastern gopura, where a well-known statue of two fighting monkey kings, now in the National Museum of Cambodia, was also found.
This statue, with a quiver on its back, is also thought to have stood in the Ramayana grouping depicting the battle between two ferocious monkey kings, Valin and Sugriva.
Hanuman, a companion of the god Rama, was part of a rare grouping of fully rounded statues depicting a battle from another Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The positioning of its arms match those of the Attendants.
Cleveland
Museum of Art
These statues represent two of four brothers known as the Pandavas, royal characters from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. They are on hand to assist their brother Bhima in battle.
Acquired in four pieces 1987-92
Pandavas (Kneeling Attendants)
Metropolitan
Museum of Art
A major figure from the Mahabharata, famed for his feats of strength and victories over monstrous villains. He is shown here crouching and ready to strike his leaping nemesis, Duryodhana.
A valorous but tyrannical figure, struck down by Bhima. These freestanding statues of him and Bhima are the only ones of their kind known to have been created in Cambodia and are considered national treasures.
Offered at auction, withdrawn 2011
Bhima (Temple Wrestler)
Norton Simon
Museum
Pasadena,
Calif.
Works in the
United States thought to be
from Prasat Chen:
(ALL STRUCTURES NOW IN RUINS)
Koh Ker
main temple area
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