In memory of King Jayavarman VII’s first wife, Jayarajadevi, who died not long after he became king in 1181AD, his second wife, her older sister Indradevi, erected images of her as a homage, in major cities of the Khmer Empire, and that’s who we will concentrate on for our next few images from the Angkor National Museum. Devoutly religious though frail in stature, with a serene and meditative face, she is represented here as the goddess Prajnaparamita, known as the ‘Perfection of Wisdom’ and you can find very similar statues in Phnom Penh’s National Museum and at the Guimet Museum in France. This kneeling image was one of four found at the Angkor temple of Preah Khan, built to honour Jayavarman VII’s father. It’s believed that the delicate naturalism of the carving bore a strong resemblance to the queen, who was known for her innumerable good deeds and her generosity, but who died young and likely suffered from ill-health. The statue has lost her arms, which would’ve likely held the attributes of a book and an unopened lotus bud, or with her hands clasped in prayer. Another deity by the name of Tara, the goddess of mercy and a companion of bodhisattva, has also been promoted by some scholars as the image portrayed, but without attributes it’s not possible to be 100% positive. The figure is kneeling with her legs tucked under her torso, wearing a simple long patterned sampot and a jeweled belt, with her braided hair in a conical bun of lotus petals, and an Amitabha Buddha figure etched into the front. It was found when Henri Marchal cleared the Preah Khan temple in the late 1920s, though as you can see from earlier EFEO pictures, the face and torso have been expertly repaired.

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In memory of King Jayavarman VII’s first wife, Jayarajadevi

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 The Khmer : The original Black civilization of Cambodia

In Cambodia, the second great Khmer Empire to arise, after the fall of Funan, was that of Angkor: This ancient Cambodian empire held power from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city of Angkor was located in the modern Cambodian province of Siem Reap, which is in the northwest of the country. "Angkor" itself is a Cambodianized interpretation of the Sanskrit word nagara, which means "city."

.From the 9th to the 15th centuries, the Khmer kingdom at Angkor was the most powerful and architecturally prodigious culture in Southeast Asia. The Khmers had lived for millennia in this region, and had earlier kingdoms known as Funan and Chenla. These kingdoms were the superpowers of the region in ancient times, but as of late, had been dominated by the new regional superpowers of the time, namely China to the north and Java to the south.

In 802 A.D, a Khmer official in the Javanese court, returned to his homeland, declared himself the new god-king, and took the name Jayavarman II. He then declared full independence from Java. Jayavarman II, thus became the first of many deified kings of Angkor.

Angkor reached its "first" peak with the ascension of Suryavarman II in 1112 A.D. Suryavarman II expanded the kingdom into Vietnam and Thailand, and built the famed Shiva temple of Angkor Wat. But the southern Vietnamese state of Champa would not be subjugated.

In 1177 A.D, the Chams of Vietnam regrouped, and launched a covert counterattack. They quietly sailed up the great lake of central Cambodia - the Tonle Sap and attacked Angkor. With this attack, the Cham began to take the offensive, and within a few years, the Chams had sacked Angkor and executed its king.

But the Khmer were not done, they immediately regrouped for an attempt to take back Angkor. A cousin of the executed king led the charge, and Angkor was retaken around 1180 A.D. This victorious Prince, was crowned as king Jayavarman VII. For the next four decades, Jayavarman VII would reign over Angkor's greatest period.

Jayavarman VII's reign was the pinnacle of Khmer culture, but after his death, things began to slip away. By the 15th and 16th centuries, the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya was in ascendance, and after several unsuccessful attempts at destroying the Khmers, they finally sacked Angkor in 1431 A.D. and then again in 1594 A.D. The last sacking forced the Khmer to abandon their capital at Angkor. The Khmer eventually regrouped in a new capital at Phnom Penh, many miles to the south, but the glory period of Khmer history was over.

Over time Cambodia was continually subjugated by its now, more powerful Mongol neighbors. As each of them in their turn, gained control of Cambodia, that precipitated the movement of Mongol people into Cambodia. Finally in 1863 A.D, Cambodia became a French territory, by then all had been lost, and the Khmer had been absorbed, producing the current inhabitants.

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The Khmer : The original Black civilization of Cambodia

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Let’s take a look at the second of the single sanctuaries at the Koh Ker complex of temples that houses a giant Linga - Prasat Linga 2 (aka Prasat Thnoeng, Prasat Balang and Monument H). Standing northeast of the Rahal, the man-made baray that acts as the central focus point for the early tenth century capital of King Jayavarman IV, it was one of five such monuments containing a monolithic Linga, which allowed sanctified water to flow over the Linga and into the Rahal. The name of Koh Ker at that time was Lingapura, or ‘city of the Linga’. It’s another square sandstone tower, open to the west with three false doors and sitting on top of a terrace platform. Almost a carbon copy of its sister Linga 1 temple that lies a hundred meters to the north, it’s roofless and inside the cella there is little room as the Linga and giant pedestal almost completely fill the space. Marginally smaller than Linga 1, the pedestal is more damaged and its spout is missing, where the water would’ve flowed out of a channel in the northern wall. The decorative standing lions have also been chiseled off the sides of the pedestal by looters. The Linga’s domed, cylindrical upper section, associated with the god Shiva, remains in quite good condition. In addition to the five sanctuaries each with a large Linga northeast of the Rahal, the state temple of Prasat Thom and its pyramid, Prasat Prang, was also famed for its four meter high Linga on top of the seven-storey structure, while dotted around the whole complex are a series of archaeological remains with sandstone pedestals and smaller linga.

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Let’s take a look at the second of the single sanctuaries at the Koh Ker

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There are some real gems to be found in the collections of the provincial museums in Cambodia, which deserve a lot more promotion to the Cambodian public and tourists alike. I’ve previously focused on the beautiful rendition of Krishna Lifting Mount Govardhana lintel at the Kompong Thom Provincial museum, so I return to the same museum for a second equally fascinating artifact, a 7th century sandstone lintel with what I believe might be a royal court narrative, found at the Chenla Empire capital of Isanavarman I, identified as Ishanapura, and now known as Sambor Prei Kuk, which is located in Kompong Thom province. There are at least 186 brick temples at the former capital, offering unique visual narratives on lintels and decorative panels amongst its three main temple complexes. The central group, with Prasat Tao at its heart, is where this particular lintel was located and moved to the conservation depot for safe-keeping before its eventual transfer to the provincial museum. The decorative art styles through the centuries were identified by the exhaustive work of Lajonquiere, George Groslier, Henri Parmentier and Philippe Stern among others, who categorized and classified every lintel they could find. We have them to thank for our knowledge of the artistic styles, aided by inscriptions, which give us the timeline of the pre-Angkor period. Our particular lintel fits neatly into the stylistic changes brought about by the art style known as Prei Kmeng, which began in 635AD and lasted until the close of the seventh century, and which followed on from that of the Sambor Prei Kuk style. So, what are we looking at? The lintel’s upper register contains a horizontal decorated arch, with both ends curving inwards to frame the narrative below. There are three large fleuron medallions with floral motifs, though it’s the royal court narrative that brings the lintel to life. The lower register framed by the foliage-decorated arch, is populated by ten individual figures, two of which are human heads at either end, while another four seem with to be praying or offering their respectful homage. The subject of their veneration are two central figures, who may well be royalty, one sat holding a mace and another with one arm across his chest. Perhaps the king and his military commander? Both of these majestic figures are decorated with necklaces, dangling pendant earrings, clothing wrapped around their body and conical crowns with a diadem at the front. To the left, two more of the royal courtiers are holding a fan and a fly whisk. Facial features include enlarged lips, some topped by a moustache, while their curly hair ringlets are crowned with a conical chignon. Another two figures, much larger in stature than the royal party, bookend the lintel, and appear to be kneeling with their hands in the praying position, on top of a pedestal. They may well be female, wearing large headdresses with feathered wings, so could be identified as angelic in nature. This is my interpretation as I’ve yet to read any scholarly opinion on the narrative. Some damage to the bottom of the scene doesn’t help in the identification. It’s definitely one of the most interesting lintels from Sambor Prei Kuk, many of which tend to be floral in their design, so look out for it on your visit to the provincial museum.

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There are some real gems to be found in the collections of the provincial museums in Cambodia

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