PhnomPenhPost-March 3, 2024
A tableau of fragments from a 10th-century statue of a dancing Shiva is spread out in a silent ode to its fragmented past. Laid upon cushioned tables, each shard of history is tagged for identification. It is a process that is unfolding like an archaeological detective story, with the conservators from the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV) and the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) piecing together a cultural puzzle that has waited centuries to be solved. “The process of assembling the sculpture is being carried out by a joint Cambodian and French team, and is approximately 65 per cent complete,” says Chhan Chamroeun, deputy director at the Department of Conservation of Monuments. Chamroeun, leader of the Dancing Shiva statue team, explains that the statue was excavated from Prasat Krahorm (Red Temple), at the Koh Ker archaeological site in Preah Vihear province in 2012. The 5m-tall figure had been broken into over 10,000 pieces, both large and small. Chamroeun says the team grouped together more than 2,500 pieces of the statue’s exterior and commenced assembly in 2019. According to history professor Sambo Manara, Koh Ker was constructed in the 10th century under the rule of Jayavarman IV, while Rajendravarman reigned in the 940s, during the same century. “These sculptures are rare because our country was divided, with one capital at Koh Ker and another at Yasodharapura [Angkor],” he tells The Post. The statue is a remarkable artefact of Khmer heritage, significant not only for its size, but also for its exceptional iconography, which reflects the religious symbolism of the Khmer Empire during its zenith. The depiction of Shiva dancing is a theme found in Hindu mythology, symbolising the cosmic dance of creation and destruction. Read more at: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-in-depth/shiva-reborn-10th-century-statue-takes-shape
