Tep Pranam and Angkor Wat Temples, Siem Reap Province

Angkorian Period, Bayon Style, Late 12th – Early 13th Century

Sandstone 

ក.990, B.767 and N.537B.101.50

As researched, the head and body of the statue were discovered in different locations. The head was uncovered by Henri Marchal in July 1950 beneath the pedestal of a large Buddha statue at Tep Pranam, within the Angkor Thom complex. On 25 August 1950, the head was transported to the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh for safekeeping and was registered as Ka.990. From July 2005 to September 2006, it was exhibited in Japan before being relocated to the Angkor National Museum (ANM) in November 2007. The torso, on the other hand, was found in the southern gallery of the second level of Angkor Wat Temple. It was attached to a post-Angkorian Buddha head, likely dating to the 16th century. Later, the torso was moved to the Angkor Conservation Office (ACO) in the 1990s and registered as N.537.

In September 2016, Dr. Olivier Cunin conducted research and utilized 3D scanning technology to determine that Ka.990 was the original head belonging to torso N.537. After receiving approval from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the 16th-century replacement head was removed by the Angkor Conservation’s workshop team. The torso was transferred from the Angkor Conservation to the Angkor National Museum on 26 June 2024. The statue was successfully restored, and the original head was reunited with the torso in August 2024 by the Angkor National Museum’s conservation and restoration technical team. On February 18, 2025, the recently restored statue was exhibited in Gallery C at the Angkor National Museum.

According to the Phimeanakas inscription and research by the renowned scholar George Cœdès in 1958, statues of King Jayavarman VII likely took three forms: as a human, as Lokesvara, and as a Buddha. This particular statue, depicted in meditation with traces of Amitabha Buddha appearing on the front of its lotus-shaped chignon, can be assumed to represent King Jayavarman VII in the form of Lokesvara a compassionate being dedicated to alleviating the suffering of all.