Antique Khmer Style Standing Bronze Bayon Hevajra Statue - 41cm/16" Tall

Antique Khmer Style Standing Bronze Bayon Hevajra Statue - 41cm/16" Tall

Measures (Height) 41cm/16"

An intricately detailed Khmer-style bronze sculpture of Hevajra, inspired by the Bayon artistic tradition of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Presented in a balanced, upright samabhanga stance, the deity combines a slender silhouette with an impressive arrangement of tiered heads and sixteen outstretched arms.

Unlike the animated dancing representations often associated with Hevajra, this figure stands with both feet firmly placed upon a rectangular bronze pedestal. The composed posture brings a sense of stillness to the elaborate imagery, allowing the repeated faces, radiating arms, and miniature attributes to become the focus.

The crowned heads rise in three tiers, with faces looking forwards and towards the sides. Pendant earrings frame the principal face, while a necklace, decorated armlets, bracelets, and anklets enrich the figure. The short sampot is worked with repeating ornamental patterns, a detailed waistband, and pendant folds at the front and reverse.

Sixteen arms extend outward in a carefully balanced arrangement. The upturned hands support miniature figures and animals, identified in the supplied description as seated meditating Buddhas, Ganesha, and Nandi. These small forms reward close inspection, creating a second layer of sculptural interest within the broader composition.

A richly textured surface combines dark brown, earthy tones, and mottled green areas, accentuating the recessed decoration and modelling. The reverse is also detailed, revealing the arrangement of the arms, the backs of the crowns, and the ornament of the garment.

At 41 cm tall, this distinctive sculpture offers an engaging focal point for a study, living space, or collection of Southeast Asian-inspired art.

Hevajra and His Symbolism

Hevajra is an important meditational deity in Tantric, or Vajrayana, Buddhism. Such a deity may be described as a yidam: an enlightened form used as a focus for advanced meditation and visualisation. Hevajra’s imagery expresses spiritual transformation and the overcoming of delusion.

His multiple heads and arms distinguish him from an ordinary human figure and allow numerous symbolic attributes to be presented simultaneously. Historic Khmer examples depict eight heads and sixteen arms, with ritual cups containing miniature animals and divine beings.

Although Hevajra is commonly characterised as wrathful, Khmer artists could give his faces a composed, almost smiling expression. That contrast between formidable imagery and inward tranquillity is an important part of the subject’s appeal.

The Bayon-Style Connection

The sculpture draws upon Khmer artistic conventions associated with the Bayon tradition: crowned faces, elaborate jewellery, tiered heads, radiating arms, and an ornamented sampot. Comparable historic Hevajra bronzes are catalogued in the Bayon style of the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

Key Features

• Height: 41 cm / approximately 16 inches.

• Bronze Hevajra sculpture in Khmer Bayon style.

• Balanced standing samabhanga posture.

• Eight heads arranged in three tiers.

• Sixteen arms radiating outward from the torso.

• Upturned hands supporting miniature sacred figures and animals.

• Attributes identified as meditating Buddhas, Ganesha, and Nandi.

• Elaborate crowns and pendant earrings.

• Detailed necklace, armlets, bracelets, and anklets.

• Patterned sampot with an ornamental waistband and pendant folds.

• Mottled brown and green-toned surface.

• Rectangular bronze pedestal.

• Detailed front and reverse for appreciation from multiple viewpoints.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Hevajra?

Hevajra is a deity of Tantric Buddhism associated with enlightenment and spiritual transformation. He is particularly recognisable through his multiple heads, sixteen arms, and ritual attributes.

What does samabhanga mean in this description?

It describes the figure’s balanced, upright standing posture. Here, the straight legs and firmly placed feet create a composed alternative to the vigorous dancing stance seen in many Hevajra sculptures.

What do the hands hold?

The hands support miniature figures and animals, identified in the supplied description as meditating Buddhas, Ganesha, and Nandi. Ganesha is the elephant-headed deity, while Nandi is the sacred bull associated with Shiva. Individual miniature forms should be checked closely before assigning every hand a definitive identification.

Why does Hevajra have eight heads and sixteen arms?

These are characteristic features of this form of Hevajra. They express his extraordinary spiritual nature and provide space for the many attributes associated with his complex Tantric imagery.

Is this sculpture the same as the dancing form of Hevajra?

It represents the same deity but uses a different presentation. This sculpture stands upright, without a dancing stance or figures beneath its feet. It should therefore be described according to its visible form rather than with a passage describing Hevajra dancing, trampling the Maras, or embracing his consort.

Is this a 13th-century antique?

A 13th-century date has not been established. “Khmer Bayon-style” identifies the historical artistic tradition that inspired the sculpture; it does not authenticate the piece as an Angkor-period original.

Does it have a wooden display base?

The photographed sculpture stands directly upon a rectangular bronze pedestal. 

How tall is the sculpture?

The stated height is 41 cm, approximately 16 inches. This is a useful scale for a shelf, console, or dedicated display setting.

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