A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A FEMALE DEITY

Drawing on the developments of the previous half-century, the art of the Baphuon period, corresponding roughly to the second half of the eleventh century, introduced a number of new elements and refinements. The wide, muscular torsos of the previous century are replaced with rounded shoulders and a narrow waist, with curved hips emphasized by the hem of the sampot, which is pulled up over the hips in a U-shape. The folds of the sampot during the Baphuon fall in asymmetrical pleats, emphasizing the multiple layers of the garment, while the knots at the waist often tail off in scrolling embellishments. The tactile quality of the highly polished torso is suggestive of youthful skin and is sensitively offset against the refined treatment of the braided hair and pleated sampot.