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Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 312 Location at ANM: Exclusive Gallery: 1000 Buddha

1. Artifact's name: Meditating Buddha sheltered by Naga

2. Period: Late 12th –early 13th century Style: Bayon

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

The iconography of this Buddha relates to the story of the seven heads Naga named Muchalinda, who, during a torrential rainstorm that lasted seven days, emerged to shelter the Buddha meditating on his enlightenment.

The Buddha image seated on the coils of the Naga in Dhyana mudra, a gesture of meditation, concentration on the Good law, and of the attainment of spiritual perfection. According to tradition, this mudra derives from the one assumed by the Buddha when meditating under the Buddhi tree before his Enlightenment. This gesture was also adopted since time immemorial by Yogis during their meditation and concentration exercises. It indicates the perfect balance of thought, rest of the senses and tranquility. The Dhyana mudra made with both hands, the hands are generally held on the thighs. The right hand is placed above the left, with the palms facing upwards, and the fingers extended.

Such sculpture was common during the Angkor period, despite its being an epoch when Hinduism dominated official religion, and particularly during the Bayon period, when the Mahayana Buddhist Jayavarman VII was the king.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 44 Location at ANM: Gallery A

1. Artifact's name: Standing Buddha (ka 1746)

2. Period: 6th-7th century Style: Phnom Da

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

This statue belongs to a group which can be considered as representative of the earliest Khmer Buddhist Art, a group that shows more or less clear connections with India's Gupta and post Gupta art, but which also presents a number of original features. In Khmer art, the absence of the Ūrnā in particular (a small tuft of hair between the eyebrows) is constant to this day.
The round face and elongated eyes suggest that this statue has foreign influences. The nude right shoulder is typical of the Krang style of dressing. The lower edge of the Uttarasanga has a line at the level of the ankles. The edge hanging over the left arm acts as a support, illustrating a technique used by the artist to maintain the balance of the statue.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 43 Location at ANM: Gallery A

1. Artifact's name: Standing Vishnu ka 2576

2. Period: 7th century Style: Sambor Prei Kuk

3. Provenance: Kampong Speu Province

4. Historical background and its remark

Vishnu statue appears most frequently with four arms, holding the attributes that represent the four fundamental elements of the Cosmos: the Cakra (disc) represented Fire, on the upper right hand; the conch-shell represented Water, on the upper left hand; the mace represented Wind, on lower left hand; and a ball or sphere represented the Earth, on the lower right hand. He is the preserver of the cosmos. Most of all images of Vishnu made before the mid IX century, he wears a high cylindrical miter and a long clinging Sampot knotted at the waist. Early Khmer sculpture is carved in free-standing and often quite large, so artisans cleverly devised unobtrusive ways to support and stabilize the various appendages. Here the mace handles under the lower left hand and the vertical column supporting the lower right hand are designed to strengthen the sculpture. The long front panel of the ankle-length of Sampot gives added support to the ankles, and struts for connecting the upper arms to the head. Regional variations of the support system continued to be used throughout the seventh and into the early eight century; by the end of eighth century, the struts connecting the upper arms to the head and the center drapery panel had gone out of fashion.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 45 Location at ANM: Gallery A

1. Artifact's name: Durga Mahishasuramardini

2. Period: Late 7th century - early 8th century Style: Prey Khmeng

3. Provenance: Kampong Cham Province

4. Historical background and its remark

This lovely female image represents the goddess Durga. The image of Durga was widespread in early Pre-Angkorian period, her fame as the slayer of the powerful buffalo demon, Mahishasura, giving her name Durga Mahishasuramardini. As one of the Shakti of Siva, the female aspect of his destructive powers, she invokes the power of one part of the Brahmanism pantheon. As similar to Vishnu, attested by her high miter, she has four-armed and may hold the attributes traditional held by Vishnu with whom she is often associated in Khmer iconography (But here the arms are broken off, so the traditional Vishnu attributes are missing). Here she wears a high cylindrical miter and a long clinging Sampot with a gracefully looped and knotted fold depicted in style that Boisselier dated to the late 7th century. The hip-sway marks one of the moments when Khmer art tried to free itself from a convention received from Indian models but one ill-suited to its esthetic ideal. Khmer art is less lascivious and nearly always marked with grandeur and refined distinction.
This Durga image depicts none of the violence of the goddess's defeat of the demon, frequently portrayed in other Southeast Asia cultures. Instead, she is depicted as a lovely young woman: full and high-breasted with slender short waist, generous hips and round cheeks. Her beauty and sensuality display the major characteristics of Pre-Angkorian period Khmer feminine beauty.

5. Stories about artifact (urban folk lore and legend)

Durga is said to be the energy of Shiva. Durga form was produced from “the radiant flames that issued from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as well as from the mouths of other principle deities,” for the destruction of Mahisha( buffalo-demon), an Asura who had conquered the celestial kingdom and driven out the gods from there. It is said that she appeared before the gods as “a female of celestial beauty with ten arms into which the gods delivered their weapons, the emblem of their powers.” On this occasion she received “from Vishnu the discus; from Shiva the trident; from Brahma a battle-axe; from Varuna the conch or shell; from Agni a flaming dart; from Surya a quiver and arrow; from Yama an iron rod;; from Mount Himalaya a lion for a charger; and from Ananta a wreathed circlet of snakes.” Armed with these terrible weapons she preceded to the Vindhya mountains. Here Mahisha happened to see her and tried to capture her. But Durga, at the end of a fierce combat, during which the demon transformed into various shapes, pierced him with a spear and killed him.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery B

1. Artifact's name: Ganesha C.A. ក 020

2. Period: 12th century Style: Angkor Wat

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

Identified by elephant head with a human body, Ganesha is one of the most popular Hindu gods in Cambodia from the pre-Angkorian period until post-Angkorian period. His popularity is proved by many images of him have been found in Cambodia and he is also mentioned frequently in the inscriptions.
In Cambodia, Ganesha is worshipped as “The Remover of Obstacles”. Thus, he is a favorite god even in the reign of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. His images were also installed along the Cambodia's border in the same vision as mentioned above.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 62 Location at ANM: Gallery C

1. Artifact's name: Lintel N 29

2. Period: 10th century Style: Banteay Srei

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

This lintel exhibits a great richness of decoration and detail. The central medallion showing Indra, the regent of the east, he rides on the white three-headed elephant named Airavata. He holds his favorite weapon Vajra (the lightning) on his right hand. Below Airavata is Kala holding the back legs of lions in his both hands. At the center part of the upper frieze, the god Shiva is shown seated sideways on Nandi with Uma, his Shakti (spouse), Shiva holds the trident in his right hand, while Uma holds lotus bud in her left hand accompanied by twelve seated Rishi. At the upper frieze extremities, standing Garuda are shown.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery C

1. Artifact's name: Lintel

2. Period: 11th century Style: Baphuon

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

In Baphuon style, scene lintel is more popular depicted than the plant decoration lintel. The scene of this lintel describes about the Trimurti gods surrounded by other gods in Hindu mythology. The three gods are associated with three important concepts of the universe, Brahma is the creator of universe, Vishnu is the preserver of life and Shiva is the destroyer (of evil and ignorance).
The god Shiva is shown in the centre seated sideways on the bull Nandi with his Shakti (consort) Uma. This image referred to India iconographic parlance as Umamaheshvara.
The god Brahma is shown with four arms standing in lotus and holding his attributes.
The god Vishnu is shown with four arms holding his attributes, standing on his mount Garuda.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 712 Location at ANM: Gallery D

1. Artifact's name: Avalokiteshvara N.137

2. Period: 12th century Style: Angkor Wat Style

3. Provenance: Prasat Beng Mealea; Siem Reap Province

4. Historical background and its remark

This highly expressive seated figure of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion was found in the collapsed tower of Beng Mealea temple which was built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.
The humanity expressed in the face of this image, suggests that it may date from the beginning of the more spiritual style of the Bayon period that emerged in the second half of the 12th century. Despite the quality of its carving, consistent with high Angkor Wat style, the humanistic quality of this bodhisattva image has more common with the Buddhistic style of the Bayon that was to evolve in the last quarter of the twelfth century, and may have been a transition work placed in the temple in the reign of Suryavarman II's successor, his cousin Dharanindravarman II, who was a Buddhist.

Code: N 45 Audio Tour Set No. 83 Location at ANM: Gallery E

1. Artifact's name: Lokesvara

2. Period: Late 12th - early 13th century Style: Bayon

3. Provenance: West Baray

4. Historical background and its remark

For Jayavarman VII, Buddhism consisted of the worship of a triad consisting of Lokeshvara, the Buddha and Prajnaparamita together with the Tantric divinity Hevajra. Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism became increasingly important during the reign of Jayavarman VII; Hevajra, one of the Tantric tutelary deities, was elevated to a new and powerful position. The reason for the shift to this form of Buddhism may have resulted after the catastrophic invasion of the Chams in 1177 showed that the early system of religious protection had somehow proved inadequate and a new and more potent theology was required.

The Lokeshvara here, his heads are arranged in three tiers with 20 arms and four legs. The lowest left arm holds the mace. This image is clothed in a Sampot can kpin that sits low on the waist below the navel with the fishtail panel in front. He is adorned with typical Khmer jewelry: bracelets, earrings, anklets and a diadem.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery E

1. Artifact's name: Prajnaparamita

2. Period: Late 12th – early 13th century Style: Bayon

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

This lovely standing female image represents the Buddhist deity Prajnaparamita, the spiritual mother of all Buddhas, identified by a tiny Buddha image at the front of her chignon-cover. She is clothed in a long unpleated Sampot with a folded panel in the front and a cloth sash. This female image could be identified also as Tara, the companion of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The image stands on sturdy legs that are reinforce with braces carved integrally with the ankles at the back, helping to support the considerable weight of the sculpture. Some layered erosion and scaling of the stone is visible on the lower front side.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. 91 Location at ANM: Gallery F

1. Artifact's name: Inscription of Prasat Preah Ko K.713

2. Period: 9th century Style: Preah Ko

3. Provenance: Preah Ko temple

4. Historical background and its remark

This inscription, on one face of stele, is in Sanskrit which related to the king Indravarman I in 879 A.D..

The king Yasovarman I, his son, fulfilled on the other face in 898 A.D., pertained to the foundation of his father, his access on the throne in 877 A.D., his royal genealogy, the cult of Devaraja and his pavilions, the throne and means of transportation.

The texts displayed also the erection of three statues of Shiva, three statues of Preah Neang Devi in 879 A.D. and the wishes and malediction.

In 893 A.D. the king Yasovarman I gave his order to donate to deities named Paramesvara and Prathivindresvara installed in the temple of Preah Ko. Royal donations consist of the cult objects and servants.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery G

1. Artifact's name: Apsara

2. Period: 12th century Style: Angkor Wat

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

Apsara is the word called in French language, in Khmer called Tep Apsara who was celestial women that nymph born of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk of the Mahabharata. The last of epic were said Tep Apsara was appear in numerously and dancing on the air to acclaim for both of group that Churning of the Ocean of Milk in which a big achieve desirable result that received immortal water.

Especially, Tep Apsara was appearing to show for enthusiastic and blessing to Vishnu and Shiva.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery D

1. Artifact's name: Trimurti-god

2. Period: Late 12th - early 13th Style: Bayon

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

According to Indian philosophy, the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, represent the three stages of the primitive matter: creation, preservation and dissolution.
These three gods are the emanations of a unique supreme god and constitute the Trimurti.
The Trimurti gods have to accomplish different tasks to maintain the balance of the universe.
Brahma is the creator of universe, Vishnu is the preserver of life and Shiva is the destroyer (of evil and ignorance).

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Gallery B

1. Artifact's name: The god Shiva

2. Period: 9th century Style: Preah ko

3. Provenance: Trapeang Phong

4. Historical background and its remark

This Shiva statue was originally installed in Trapeang Phong temple situated in an ancient city Hariharalaya, present-day called Roluos, about 15km east of Siem Reap town center. The head was once removed from statue and later found in USA. It was then identified and arrangement works were made to return to the head to Cambodia on April 10, 2000.

Code: _____ Audio Tour Set No. _____ Location at ANM: Exclusive gallery: 1000 Buddha

1. Artifact's name: Meditating Buddha seated under the Bodhi tree

2. Period: _________________________ Style: _________________________

3. Provenance: _________________________

4. Historical background and its remark

Buddha is shown seated on a pedestal in the Virasana under the Buddhi tree. Buddha's hands are hold in Dhyana mudra, the gesture of meditation. According to the legend of the Buddha's life, during his birth he took seven steps and each step was supported by a lotus flower. Thus he is a superior being. For this reason he is represented on a pedestal, a lotus-shaped throne or decorated with lotus blossoms. At the age of 35, on the night of a full moon, he attained enlightenment (From this time forward, the pipal tree under which he sat would be known as the Bodhi tree, or tree of enlightenment).