Durga Sandstone Khmer, Pre-Angkor Period

The four-armed Goddess clad in a sheer sarong flowing down to her ankles, a discus held in her upper right hand and a tall miter on her head, her softly modeled face bearing a serene expression.  

Sculpture of the pre-Angkor period is characterized by skilful manipulation of form and surface. The diaphanous garment hugging the body revealing the contours beneath is modeled with subtle realism and recalls the earlier Gupta style of northern India. However the form is treated with greater restraint in comparison to the voluptuousness of Indian sculpture. The use of an arched strut to support freestanding sculpture was an early Khmer convention that fell into disuse by the end of the ninth century.

Compare with a larger, more complete figure of Durga from the same period with a similar architectural support and headdress, see Bunker and Latchford, 2004, cat. 17, p. 75.