Torso of Female Deity Sandstone Khmer, Angkor Period, Baphuon style

A female figure of a goddess, probably Uma, standing in samapada, her young unadorned body with small, high breasts and her belly naturalistically and beautifully rounded, wearing a long, pleated sarong tied at the front with a curled end at the top sweeping to the left, the long central fold of fabric, incised with designs indicating a patterned or embroidered fabric adorned with pearls and tassles, elegantly culminating in a 'fishtail' shape at the hem, held together at the hips with a patterned belt fastened at the front with a knot, the sculpture finished at the back, the remains of the ankle showing a support.

Mr. F. K. Darragh, Jnr., acquired 1986

Regular breaks at the neck, both arms below the shoulders and the left leg at ankle level, the right leg broken diagonally above the ankle. The top edge of the skirt and the curled end overlapping the belt are extensively chipped, the bottom edge of the skirt also slightly chipped with a semi-circular area of exfoliation just below the 'fishtail' pleat. Scratches and chips to overall surface especially around the belly. The gray stone surface retains slight polish. Proper left arm, shoulder and a part of the breast have been restored.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The piece exemplifies the style of Baphuon female figures with the frontal stance, the ovoid skirt wide at the hips and narrowing around the knees, the sarong positioned high at the back and curving down to below the navel and the elegant central pleat. According to Boisselier the highly decorative style of Banteay Srei inspired the development of Baphuon period sculpture, a manner which became more embellished with decorative elements as it continued into and reached a zenith during the Angkor Wat period a century later, (see Helen Ibbitson Jessup and Thierry Zephir, ed.; Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia: Millennium of Glory, Washington 1997, p. 255). The modeling of the torso, the curled end of the sarong above the belt and a long central fold certainly recalls Banteay Srei sculpture (see Emma C. Bunker, and Douglas Latchford; Adoration and Glory; The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago, 2004, p. 175, fig. 8.6.). The decorative nature and style of the central pleat on the sarong can be compared to a 12^th century example published P. Pal, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Thames and Hudson, 1997, p. 195, cat. 255.  However all other elements are characteristic of the Baphuon style.