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Brahmanical Stele

second half of the 7th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This stele depicts emblems symbolizing the Brahmanical gods arranged on a ritual altar in an open shrine (mandapa). At left is a holy-water vessel encircled by a rosary, the principal attributes of Brahma, supported on the bloom of a lotus flower. At center is a trishula, Shiva’s trident, with a wide-bladed ax below. At right are Vishnu’s discus weapon and conch shell, his war trumpet. The open pavilion and altar are closely related to architectural structures preserved at the seventh-century Khmer city of Sambor Prei Kuk. The ritual utensils depicted here were likely displayed in such a shrine during worship.

cat. no. 85

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Brahmanical Stele
  • Date: second half of the 7th century
  • Culture: Eastern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 29 15/16 in. (76 cm); W. 16 9/16 in. (42 cm); D. 7 1/16 in. (18 cm); Wt. 230 lbs (104.3 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Musée National des Arts Asiatiques–Guimet, Paris (MG24618)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art