Angkor Guardian Lions
With inspiration from the repatriation articles that involved the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, I was inspired to view their collection of Asian antiquities. Until I read the articles presented about the Koh Ker wrestler, I had little idea that the Norton Simon Museum even had Cambodian works on display. As both a Cambodian-American and resident of Southern California, I felt a need and desire to see the collection myself. The museum displayed the Asian collection on their lower level, away from the European paintings and sculptures. There, within three or four small rooms, was a mixture of Southern and Southeastern Asian paintings and statues from Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam. The lighting was poor and the space cramped which made each work seem out if its element. Two large Indian sculptures were placed awkwardly in the middle of a hallway. Their enormous sizes seemed stifled within the small walls. There didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason until you understood the cultural influences within South and Southeast Asia.
The Guardian Lion was the piece that I found most appealing and interesting. It was carved out of sandstone and its dimensions are 42” x 21.5” x 28”. It was originally carved by unknown craftsmen during the height of the Khmer Empire, which lasted between 802 CE until 1431 CE. The origins of the specific lion on exhibit were unknown and its original installation was most likely guarding the entrance to an ancient Angkor temple.
Prior to the rise of the Khmer Empire, India and China had great cultural influence over Southeast Asia. Trade routes that stretched from China to the Mediterranean Sea brought with it commerce and traders from all over. Hinduism and Buddhism swept thru the indigenous people along with mostly Indian culture, science, and politics. As these influences became part of the culture, these small villages began to grow into larger princedoms that warred among themselves to gain more territory, land, and power. In 802 CE, Prince Jayavarman II dominated these smaller princedoms through military conquest. He claimed himself a god-king and legitimized his right to create a centralized kingdom. The Khmer empire he built was expansive and encompassed Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
Jayavarman II and his successors commissioned the construction of many magnificent monuments and temples during what is known as the Angkor period, between the ninth to thirteenth century. These temples were ornately decorated with large scale sculptures, reliefs, wall carvings, and incredible demonstrations of architecture mastery. Khmer builders and architects demonstrated their prowess and expertise in creating great roads, bridges, waterworks, and canals around multiple temples and palaces. Their greatest feat was the Hindu inspired temple of Angkor Wat which took over 30 years to complete, and is the seventh wonder of the world. It was modeled after Mount Meru, home to the Hindu god Vishnu, and is symbolic of the universe set in sandstone. The five towers are representative of the mountain peaks of Meru, the moat outside of Angkor Wat is representative of the ocean, and the outer wall surrounding the temple is representative of the mountains stretching to the ends of the world. Guarding the entrances of Angkor Wat, as well as other Khmer temples, are strategically placed pairs of lions – most likely where The Guardian Lion once stood.
Lions were held in high reverence in both Hindu and Buddhist religion but also throughout antiquity in Western culture. Lions symbolized royalty and strength and were recognized as the king of beasts. Even today, the lion is referred to as the king of the jungle. Sculptures of lions served to be awe-inspiring in many different religions and cultures in ancient and medieval times. Khmer craftsmen sculpted hundreds of lions during the Angkor period. The lions flanked temple gates and roads leading to Angkor Wat and other temples like Bayon, Pre Rup and Srah Srang. “The lion, representing royalty, strength, and courage, was the personal symbol of the Khmer kings, who were believed to be gods as well. Therefore, the lion as guardian of the sacred precinct suggested the ability to ward off evil through both divine and royal protection.” (http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38449)
From further understanding the culture and beliefs of the Khmer Empire, the analysis of The Guardian Lion on display at Norton Simon takes on a different perspective. It no longer is a strange and uniquely different lion in the middle of a room surround by other Cambodian antiquities. This freestanding figure is sculpted out of sandstone which lends a rough matte and porous exterior to the lion. While it is not a massive sculpture, the bulk of the lion’s body is intimidating and formidable in its three-dimensional form that can be observed from any point around the lion. Within the Norton Simon, it sits on a platform in the center of a room and its stature and prominence fills its space. The lion’s beautiful mane and open mouth project into the onlooker's space as well. To imagine a pair of these lions guarding an entrance, one can understand how ancient Khmer kings discerned divinity and protection from them. The lion is plainly colored beige and sand but the ornate and elaborate decorative carvings give the sculpture appeal. The lion sits upright in a protective and guarding position and while its hind legs and back have some curvature, there is a definitive vertical line from the head to the front paws.
Incredibly, Khmer craftsmen in this period may have never seen an actual lion as they were not indigenous to Kampuchea. In gaining insight to the culture of the great Khmer Empire, one can visually see The Guardian Lion is not a natural depiction of a lion, rather it was designed to be more ferocious, intimidating, and ominous. The sculptures were created through the craftsmen’s imagination and interpretation of a lion garnered through stories and images influenced from Indian culture, religion, and symbolism. The lion is sitting upright with its mouth wide open presenting all of its teeth and is ready to leap into action to defend its king and temple from intruders. Unlike an actual lion with a large and messy mane, The Guardian Lion has a well-coiffed mane that is perfectly curly around its entire face, as if it were braided or combed down perfectly. Hair was an important symbol in Hinduism where untamed hair represented the unruly, wild nature of a god and conversely, well-kept, neat hair was symbolic of cultural enlightenment. Its tail curves along its back and is not freely waiving about as you would see in a natural lion. This gives the sculpture the perception of continual readiness; it is not distracted from its internal mission.
In its present setting, The Guardian Lion sits alone with a damaged front paw missing its matching set. Without an understanding of the history of art looting in not only Cambodia, but Greece, the Middle East, and Egypt, observers may just attribute the damage to nature and time. Yet, the damage on the right paw does not appear jagged but rather you can see straight cut lines, most likely inflicted by modern machinery during the unsanctioned removal from its original site. It serves as a reminder of the civil war and violence that Cambodia underwent in the 1970s. “Illegal trade in Cambodian cultural heritage, the looting and sale of priceless ancient statuary, continues to this day and is a lasting reminder that the casualties of the regime extended beyond human life, but cut into the roots of the culture itself.” (http://observer.com/2017/04/prince-ravi-cambodian-antiquities-looted/) The Norton Simon has returned the Koh Ker wrestler back to Cambodia as an act of good will, yet on that lower level, I had to question how many of these Asian antiquities were acquired legitimately. Some would say the black-market looting saved many artifacts from further damage during the war while others would argue that the profits made in the black-market helped financially support the Khmer Rouge. In my opinion, having the opportunity to see this work in person was an incredible opportunity. There are only a handful of cultures who can trace their ancestry as far back as Cambodians can to the Khmer Empire. I’ve never been to Cambodia and to see a work in person created by my culture, one that dates back thousands of years, was bittersweet. I was ecstatic to see such a strong depiction of culture and artistry but was saddened to know there is an ancient Khmer temple missing a piece of itself – one of its protectors.