Cultural object
Conch Shell with a Figure of Hevajra
Conch Shell with a Figure of Hevajra is a 12th- or 13th-century Khmer ritual conch with bronze fittings, held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.[1] Its bronze mount shows the dancing Buddhist god Hevajra, and the shell was blown at the start of temple rituals.[2]
The object
The object is a shell fitted with bronze. The dancing figure of Hevajra, a Buddhist being of enlightenment with eight heads, sixteen arms, and four legs, has been worked into the bronze embellishment of the shell.[1] The object measures 35 centimeters (13¾ inches) in overall height.[2] It sits on a tripod stand with three serpents that is probably not original to the shell.[1] The museum's accession number is 1977.176.[1][3]
Use
The conch shell was blown at the start of rituals to make the sound corresponding to the syllable om.[1] Royal temples such as Banteay Chhmar were built for rituals honoring gods, Buddhas and other sacred beings for the protection and prosperity of the kingdom.[2] In Angkor-period Cambodia, conchs could also be used to hold and pour lustral water, in addition to serving as musical instruments.[4] Such conches might be real shells, lost-wax bronze casts or ceramic, and water poured from them over an image or a person was held to purify.[4][5] The sound of the conch was believed to ward off evil.[6]
Conch shells also remain part of Cambodian wedding ceremonies, where they may pour fragrant water over newly married couples and symbolize happiness.[4][6]
Iconography
During the Angkorian period, Hevajra became a prominent Khmer Buddhist emblem for rituals prescribed by the Hevajra-tantra.[2] In Vajrayana Buddhism, Hevajra is a protector god who appears in an angry form, and his dancing form is shown standing on two corpses or demons.[6] The skull-cup, or kapala, is his symbol in his tantric form.[6] The Hevajra-tantra links him with six Yoginis: Guari, Cauri, Vetali, Ghasmani, Bhucari and Khecari, standing for form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought.[6]
Date and origin
The Cleveland Museum of Art records the object as Cambodian work of the Angkor period, dated to the 1100s and to the 12th to 13th century.[1][2] The museum's collection record credits the acquisition in 1977 to the John L. Severance Fund.[2] The museum notes that its information on the object, including its provenance, may not be accurate.[2]
Comparable conches
Ritual conches were popular in the Angkor Wat period of the 12th century, and surviving examples share a spiral base and a mouth with a panel decorated in relief.[6] The London dealer Michael Backman considers bronze conches unique to Cambodia.[4] A Bayon-style bronze conch sold by that dealer has a pierced, fan-shaped flap whose central figure is probably Hevajra, surrounded by eight dancing apsaras. Its shell has several breaks that have been re-glued, which suggests long burial, and a mottled silvery-green surface.[4] A similar conch and stand is in the National Museum of Cambodia, and another is displayed at the Musée Guimet in Paris.[4] Another bronze conch of 35 centimeters (13¾ inches), shown by the dealer Marcel Nies, has two of the six Yoginis flanking Hevajra in its central panel.[6]
Display
The Cleveland Museum of Art currently lists the object as not on view.[2] The museum's Open Access program allows its image and data to be copied and shared without permission.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Cleveland Museum of Art
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 clevelandart.org, Conch Shell with a Figure of Hevajra - Cleveland Museum of Art (2025-11-14)
- ↑ Wikimedia Commons, Category:Cambodia in the 12th century (2024-03-28)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Michael Backman Ltd, Cambodian Bayon-Style, Ritual Bronze Conch Shell & Stand - Michael Backman Ltd
- ↑ PICRYL, Sculptures from Cambodia
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 asianart.com, Marcel Nies - Asian Arts