Half-Man, Half-Lion:

Half-Man, Half-Lion:

Narasimha, the fantastical hybrid half-man, half-lion avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu came to prominence during the Angkorian period, with examples to be found on bas-reliefs and lintels at Banteay Srei, Pre Rup and East Mebon, often in the dynamic gesture of tearing the heart from the evil demon Hiranyakasipu, while standalone statues are much rarer. One of the principal sculptures that did survive was discovered in Angkor Wat by the first curator of the temples, Jean Commaille in 1909, as he and a team of labourers spent two years clearing debris from the temple. It was already damaged, without both arms and feet, and has since undergone restoration. Today it is on the worldwide Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia exhibition tour, currently in Canada. Another example can be found, though the head only, on display at the Angkor National Museum, found at the Phimeanakas temple in Angkor Thom. A third sculpture, again only the gorgeously carved head remains, was picked out of the debris of Preah Khan by head conservator Henri Marchal in July 1928 and kept in storage at the Angkor Conservation depot of the EFEO. Determined to be a moveable trophy sought by potential looters, it was transferred with 177 other artifacts from the Conservation depot to sit in the basement of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, for a decade, before being handed-over to the National Museum on 17 October 2002, where it resides today. It’s dated to the late twelfth century and is fearsome in the extreme. The two rows of sharp teeth filling the massive gaping mouth below a protruding snout are enhanced by the bulbous eyes below a triple eyebrow extension intent on striking fear in the onlooker. The long mane is topped by horns at the top of the forehead, with a conical lotus bud chignon at the pinnacle. The rear of the head reveals hair in very tight curls which would’ve formed a nape cover, while there are no ears or earrings on this version, though other examples possess them. It’s not known if this Narasimha (Nara = man, simha = lion) was standing or kneeling. Two examples of temple guardians depicted as kneeling Narasimha were found at Banteay Srei and moved to Angkor Conservation for safety in the late 1960s. Today, you can see them at the National Museum and the Angkor National Museum.

 

Credit By :Andy Brouwer