FEMALE NARRATOR:
These two sculptural works are from present-day Vietnam. They were made to adorn structures, probably brick temples, in the ancient kingdom of Champa that flourished around the year 1000 in the middle of the country. The people of Champa followed Hinduism and Buddhism, and their artists developed a style that is quite different from India’s and neighboring Cambodia’s. Although these two figures do not fit together, they probably come from the same temple. Both served a protective function.
The lotus-crowned dancer is an auspicious figure—her round belly and breasts symbolize growth and prosperity. She crouches in the pose of a guardian. The fantastic beast below her is a creature of energy and unbounded creation. He is part elephant, part crocodile, but his form seems to merge with the decoration around him. It is unclear where his nose ends and the curling ornamentation begins, or if the spikes on his snout are horns or waves. A warrior wriggles from the creature’s mouth, brandishing a sword.
Such beasts flanked doorways, thrones and stairs, and often appeared on jewelry. Associated with darkness and water, they sometimes functioned as water spouts too.
Celestial Female
c.1100
Asia: Vietnam
On View
This female figure, which would have decorated the exterior of a temple or monument, may represent the river goddess Ganga, who is personified as a woman.
Details
- Title: Celestial Female
- Date: c.1100
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: 28 x 13-1/4 x 9 in. (71.1 x 33.7 x 22.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
- Accession Number: M.1977.20.2.S
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, fig. 19 p. 74
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 3: Art from Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia, 2004, no. 188 pp. 226, 240-241
- McArthur, Meher, The Arts of Asia: A Guide to the Materials, Techniques and Styles, 2005, pp. 238-239
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1456b p. 409
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