A MONUMENTAL (183 CM) SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A DANCING UMA, ANGKOR PERIOD, KOH KER STYLE

Scientific Analysis Report: A certificate issued by Re. S. Artes on 22 May 2017 (no. R 248830A-12), based on scientific analysis of a stone sample taken from the skirt and a surface imprint from the face, concludes that the study of the stone sample taken from the skirt indicates that “the material has been significantly weathered after the carving work”, which is consistent with an antiquity of several centuries. The surface imprint taken from the face, by contrast, exhibits “evidence of a modern treatment”, corresponding to conservation work carried out in modern times. A copy of the report accompanies the lot.

Expert’s Note:
The sample taken from the skirt was drawn from a deeper and less disturbed area and is, in our view, more diagnostically conclusive for determining the age of the sculpture than the surface imprint taken from the face. The long-term weathering processes observed in this sample, which occurred after the carving was completed, clearly support an age consistent with the dating stated above. The stainless steel residues detected on the face do not contradict this dating, but instead indicate conservation work carried out on the face, affecting only the outermost surface.

Khmer Empire, 925-950. Exquisitely carved, standing in a wide-legged dancing stance atop a flat pedestal, the hands clenched and lowered to the sides, wearing a short striated sampot with an overhanging flange falling above it, the central hem culminating in a double fish-tail flange. The face carved with a serene expression with large almond-shaped eyes, full lips forming a calm smile, and a broad nose. The hair arranged into a high cylindrical chignon behind the flaring foliate tiara.

Provenance: From the private collection of Camille Mines (1950-2018), Luxembourg. By family repute acquired by his father, René Mines, in the local trade in late 2017. By descent to Robert Mines. A copy of a provenance statement written and signed by Robert Mines, dated 22 January 2024, confirming the above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear and obvious losses, with several breaks professionally restored. Chips, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, and areas of encrustation. Evidence of professional conservation is consistent with the findings of the Re. S. Artes report.

Dimensions: Height 155 cm (excl. stand), 183 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted on an associated stand. (2)

The Koh Ker temple complex, approximately 80km northeast of Angkor, was the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928-944 under the kings Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II. Koh Ker's sculptural style is distinct from those developed in Angkor's immediate vicinity. The stone sculpture, often monumental in size, is imbued with a heightened sense of movement and a suppleness of form. The broad flap of pleated fabric that hangs over the sash at the waist, a fashion which first appeared in the last quarter of the ninth century, then became the convention in the tenth century during the Koh Ker period and can also be seen on the male figure from Banteay Srei.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Koh Ker style sandstone figure of a female deity in a dancing pose, dated to the second quarter of the 10^th century, in the Musée Guimet, accession number MG 18096, illustrated by Helen Jessup and Thierry Zephir in Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia: Millennium of Glory, Paris, 1997, p. 213, cat. no. 43. Compare two closely related larger Koh Ker sandstone figures, 236 cm and 234 cm high, in the collection of the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory numbers NMC.149 and NMC.150.

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