Deep in the jungles of northern Cambodia, 75 kilometres (46 miles) from the nearest modern city, lies an archaeological site which appears suddenly out of the rich vegetation. Draped in vines and heavy with leaves, the more than 180 shrines of Koh Ker were brought to Western attention by two French adventurers, Lunet de Lajonquière and Étienne Aymonier, in the late Nineteenth Century AD. The presence of the French led to the looting of numerous sculptures and reliefs which are now in the Musée Guimet in Paris. Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer Empire during a period in the Tenth Century AD, since it was the hometown of Jayavarman IV. All of the Khmer state institutions were moved from Hariharalaya (modern Roluos), to where it would return after the untimely death of Jayavarnan’s son, Harshavarman II.

This brief fluorescence, however, would produce some of the most dramatic art in Khmer history, and the style adopted at Koh Ker was exported around the Empire. It achieved particular prominence at Banteay Srei, close to the famous (later) temple at Angkor Wat. Banteay Srei has the distinction of being the only Khmer temple not founded by a reigning monarch; it was instead built at the impetus of two important courtiers at the court of King Rajendravarman II, named Vishnukumara and Yajnavaraha. This little temple, popular with tourists, includes some remarkable reliefs in the Koh Ker Style, largely depicting apsaras, female Hindu spirits or nymphs who are each associated with a different facet of human activity. Indeed the modern name of the temple, Banteay Srei, translates as ‘the Citadel of the Women’. The Koh Ker Style emphasises feminine sensuality, and free, flowing forms. Faces are round and rather plump, bodies are lithe and curvaceous. Poses are more programmatic than the freer later sculptural styles, with the legs, feet and torso shown frontally, and the arms, neck and head presented in profile or three-quarter view. Significant effort was expended on foliate ornamentation, which covers every available surface, perhaps reflecting the jungle home of the Khmer.

This extraordinary sculpture is emblematic of the style. The central figure is an apsara, depicted as an alluring female. Such a depiction is consistent with the literary presentation of apsaras, who were described in the Mahabharata as ‘possessing eyes like lotus leaves […] slim waists and fair large hips […] and deep bosoms […] capable of stealing hearts and resolutions and minds’ (Mahabharata III.43). Her torso is bare, but her ample hips and slender legs are covered by the sampot samloy, a square cloth wrapped around the waist and gathered in a fishtail fold. In each hand she holds a lotus; the long stem of one is held at the shoulder, behind the neck, with the blossom on the other shoulder, while the other is held at waist-height. The lotus came to symbolise enlightenment, emerging as it does unblemished from the muddy waters. It is probable that this symbolism held currency for the early Khmer, and it is possible that this apsara was associated with knowledge or wisdom. Around her neck is the sarong kor, a gold collar which was strongly connected to Hinduism in Khmer culture, and she wears gold armlets around her upper arms. Her face is round and full, with limpid eyes, an attractively proportioned nose, and a petite mouth. Her ears are stretched, weighed down by heavy gold earrings, in a style imported from India.

She stands under an arch which mimics the actual corbelled arches of the Banteay Srei temple, on a lotus platform. The arch is supported by two narrow rectilinear columns (colonnettes), decorated throughout by rosettes, and with capitals decorated with leaves or pendeloques. The floriate decoration above the corbelled arch reflects the vivacity of the reliefs throughout the Banteay Srei temple, itself perhaps a reference to the Khmer’s jungle home. These floriate elements culminate in a feature which looks not unlike a flaming torch. Down each side of the relief are panels rich with foliate scrollwork, a common motif in Khmer architecture. The main tendril of each panel emerges from a lower torso and pair of legs of a mammal, perhaps a lion. The lion was a personal symbol of the Khmer monarchy, as well as an important apotropaic symbol, guarding the entrance to temple complexes.

Above the corbelled arch are two male figures. They are shirtless, each wearing a sampot seng or short loincloth, which reaches to the mid-thigh and is tied with a long fishtail sash which billows downwards. The identical figures also each wear armlets and anklets, are adorned with heavy earrings which stretch their ears, and are crowned with the conical crown (mokot) which is closely associated with the Khmer, and features in Cambodian royal regalia and dance costumes to the present day. The male figures are in what is known as the ‘flying posture’ (iriyeabth haohhaer), with one leg brought in, the other bent at the knee, and the arms raised. The flying posture is one of the primary corporeal poses of Cambodian dance, which is of deep importance to the Khmer. It was not only an essential part of Khmer social relationships, featuring at state banquets and other events, but also an important part of temple ritual, with Khmer temples hosting troupes of dancers who could be summoned to please the gods. Each figure holds a vegetal tendril, which they brandish like a whip. While far from certain, it is likely that these mysterious figures represent yakshas, nature spirits which, while usually benevolent, could be mischievous or even, in some cases, deadly.

Below the lotus platform on which our apsara stands, three green peacocks (Pavo muticus) are depicted. While considered an ornamental bird in the West, linked with Oriental luxury since Classical Greece, for the early Khmer, and other Hindu cultures, peacocks were associated with the war god Skanda. The peacock was symbolic of youthful virility and swift aggression in battle, an attribute which anyone who has angered a peacock will appreciate. In neighbouring Myanmar, the green peacock was the symbol of monarchy, emphasising the depth of peacock symbolism in the region.

A temple relief of the highest quality, this apsara demonstrates the sensuous fluidity and unabashed femininity of Khmer art, almost untainted by Western influences. Yet, ironically, despite its distant relationship to the European classical tradition, mediated through the arts of India and, to a lesser extent, China, Khmer art suited Western sensibilities, and led to fierce competition between European and American museums for Khmer pieces. It remains highly sought-after among collectors and institutions, who prize it both for its high sculptural quality, and its sensitive depiction of the female form.

References: similar depictions of the same apsara can be found in Phnom Penh (National Museum of Cambodia Gha.415).