In memory of King Jayavarman VII’s first wife, Jayarajadevi

Sculpture from the Angkor National Museum: In memory of King Jayavarman VII’s first wife, Jayarajadevi, who died not long after he became king in 1181AD, his second wife, her older sister Indradevi, erected images of her as a homage, in major cities of the Khmer Empire, and that’s who we will concentrate on for our next few images from the Angkor National Museum. Devoutly religious though frail in stature, with a serene and meditative face, she is represented here as the goddess Prajnaparamita, known as the ‘Perfection of Wisdom’ and you can find very similar statues in Phnom Penh’s National Museum and at the Guimet Museum in France. This kneeling image was one of four found at the Angkor temple of Preah Khan, built to honour Jayavarman VII’s father. It’s believed that the delicate naturalism of the carving bore a strong resemblance to the queen, who was known for her innumerable good deeds and her generosity, but who died young and likely suffered from ill-health. The statue has lost her arms, which would’ve likely held the attributes of a book and an unopened lotus bud, or with her hands clasped in prayer. Another deity by the name of Tara, the goddess of mercy and a companion of bodhisattva, has also been promoted by some scholars as the image portrayed, but without attributes it’s not possible to be 100% positive. The figure is kneeling with her legs tucked under her torso, wearing a simple long patterned sampot and a jeweled belt, with her braided hair in a conical bun of lotus petals, and an Amitabha Buddha figure etched into the front. It was found when Henri Marchal cleared the Preah Khan temple in the late 1920s, though as you can see from earlier EFEO pictures, the face and torso have been expertly repaired.