H x W x D: 56.2 x 161.3 x 21.9 cm (22 1/8 x 63 1/2 x 8 5/8 in)
Type:
Sculpture
Origin:
Northeast Thailand or Cambodia
Date:
11th century
Period:
Angkor period
Label:
At the center of the sandstone lintel, two wrestling figures intertwine around a lotus stalk. Scrolling vegetation unfurls to either side. The lintel is an architectural element that would have been placed over a doorway in a Khmer temple, either in present-day northeastern Thailand or Cambodia.
The warriors' posture, with one foot pressed against the other's thigh, suggests they represent Bhima and Duryodhana, embattled heroes from the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Although the deity seated on top of the lotus appears often in reliefs from the Khmer kingdom, especially in the eleventh century, his identity remains a mystery. His position kneeling on one knee closely compares with images of charioteers depicted in Khmer relief carvings.
Provenance:
?-?
William H. Wolff, Inc., New York, NY method of acquisition unknown [1]
By 1982-1987
Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), purchased from William H. Wolff, Inc. [2]
From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler [3]
Notes:
[1] See Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Gift Inventory, number S-2097, William H. Wolff, Inc. stock number “WW 02/1338M” is listed as a dealer number, copy in object folder.
[2] See note 1, Peter Marks evaluated the object in 1982.
[3] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.
Research updated October 20, 2022
Collection:
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Exhibition History:
The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)
Power in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2017 to March 13, 2020)
Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas (May 4, 1988 to July 9, 2017)
