Returning to the two-day auction of Asian art by Bonhams and Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris last October

Khmer Art Overseas: Returning to the two-day auction of Asian art by Bonhams and Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris last October, the 341 lots to go under the gavel included a number of Khmer artworks, and recorded a total of €14.5 million. The items were all from the prestigious private collection of Robert and Jean-Pierre Rousset. The collection was begun in the 1920s by Robert Rousset, who was responsible for the high-profile gallery Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes in Paris, which was subsequently run by three generations of the Rousset family until 2021. A few of the Khmer artifacts up for auction, went for much more than their pre-sale estimate including this Pre Rup style tenth century sandstone bust of a female deity. An estimate of €50,000 fell way short of its actual substantial selling price of €315,375. The sale description reads: This is a very rare and early representation of a female deity with superb purity of form. The top of the sarong is draped across the plain belt and the hemline is flared towards the top. She is carved with delicate folds at the neck (trivali) and faint wavy lines are incised beneath the breasts and navel to enhance her plump features. The goddess represents one of the principal Hindu female deities, most likely Uma or Lakshmi. In the absence of arms and attributes, the designation of this sculpture cannot be confirmed. However, the conical mukuta in the form of a lotus crown that covers her chignon, is decorated with motifs of openwork lanceolate florals, and terminated by an ovoid bud, key distinguishing features of the Pre Rup art style. Despite the limited documentation and the lack of originality shown by the statuary of the Râjendravarman period, many particular elements support the attribution of this deity to Pre Rup. Generally speaking, the deity is reminiscent of the style of Koh Ker, but its size is much smaller and returns to hieraticism. She wears the same sarong as at Koh Ker, narrow pleat-lines with a large characteristic flap, but on the other hand, the pleated fabric is much broader with an archaic tendency.