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Item id: 9387

13th-century Cambodian sculpture of The Hindu goddess Uma from the Bayon period. It is a tremendous example of its type, at an impressive size of 22 and 1/2 inches tall for the bronze only. The bottom has a piece of wood put into it that cannot easily be removed. It was probably put there for stability or attachment to a base. The bottom ledge of the base has traces of old glue, which was glued down to another base. You can see where the base is beginning to sink under the statue's weight after so much time has passed. In fine condition. I can see no losses or repairs. It has a highly complex patina that is with this one, the better it looks pretty even at the same time. At first, it made me wonder if this piece was authentic. I Examined it extremely closely, and the quality Is extremely high and consistent throughout the entire piece.Looking at it under a magnifying glass, the mystery is revealed. The underlying surface is a honey-brown. In places, it shows degraded gilding, which has Continued to Stay bonded to the metal. Throughout the sculpture, in some places more than others, it is In the transition where the minerals leach out from inside the metal (they are not on top of the surface) and gradually turn the statue green. Like this one, like this figure, I think someone lightly cleaned every detail. All of the little obstructions and detritus that were in the grooves have been removed. It is cast with more finesse and a lighter hand than the traditional Khmer bronze sculpture of this type It so good that the better you get, the better it looks. There is design work in the belt and the other.”cloth” that wraps around the hips, as well as meticulously sculpted cast, and finished dangling jewelry or chain work hanging from the garment all the way around the waist. Blow up the pictures as large as you can and spend time looking at the details everywhere. You will be amazed at what this statue reveals. I think i it stayed in such good condition because it was covered with a brown lacquer for most of its life, plus it must have been in a protected place, either in a burial chamber or an altar that was not touched very often. The casting feels like it is beginning to transition from Khmer into Thai, I am not sure if you would call it Bayon or Lopburi-I need to do some more research on the styles of sculpture that came after just after the late Khmer types. I?ve never seen a sculpture in this size with this level of intricacy to the detail in the garments. If you look at the face and the hands and the flower, and the right hand, you will note how everything is done with the utmost precision. There is a possibility that this is a later, I leave this possibility open as I have not seen a sculpture like this before. The consistent overall quality on every level leads me to believe that it is 13th century masterpiece as good as any item I have ever offered. If anyone has more information or differing opinions, please let me know as I continue to research this magnificent Uma. It is not inexpensive, but where are you going to find another? That is comparable? Remember, the bronze is 22 1/2 inches tall, not including the attached wooden base. This is exceptionally large for such a magnificent and precisely sculpted, and cast bronze sculpture with this level of detail.