Khmer Art Overseas:
The power of Facebook has once again come up trumps. A couple of days ago I posted this rare head of Brahma that appeared in the Douglas Latchford and Emma Bunker book, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art in 2004, a go-to scholarly catalogue of Khmer art in stone. At the time Latchford said it was in an unnamed private collection, though heavily indicated that it came from the Koh Ker school of sculptors of the second quarter of the tenth century, and that may’ve been its originating location, the breakaway capital of the Khmer Empire for just twenty or so years under King Jayavarman IV. The book entry described the unique style of the four heads and faces of the Hindu god of creation and the quadruple jatamukuta of braided hair. I bemoaned not knowing its whereabouts, so was very happy to hear from a reader of my post who sent me two pictures of the head(s) which were taken in 2014, inside Latchford’s London home no less. Not exactly a surprise as he often gave false provenance to deflect prying eyes. If Brahma was left in the possession of his daughter after his death in August 2020, it could soon be winging its way back to Cambodia, with the remainder of his personal hoard. And if the head has been found, how about tracking down the body, likely to have four arms, as well as its exact original temple location.
