COLLECTION
WOODEN OBJECTS
———————————————
TEP PRAMAM (WORSHIPPER)
 Material:
Wood
Dimensions: H: 91 cm
Date: XVIth century
Provenance: Angkor Wat (Siem Reap)
Collection: National Museum of Cambodia,
Phnom Penh
Gha.315
According to Buddhist beliefs, birth and rebirth are the sufferings
of living beings. In this image, the worshiper is paying her respect
to the glorious one for liberating her future life from the Samsara
(cycle of life) toward Extinction (nirvana) by a gesture called
‘sampeah’ in Khmer or añjali in Pali (hands
joined).
Her mukuta (head-cover) is represented at the top by a stylised
lotus bud. She is known as Tep Pranam in Khmer (Tep means Deva,
Pranam means añjali). Tep Pranam is only used for a female
divinity with hands joined. This praying figure sits in ‘pleated
legs’ position represented by the legs placed under her
on the left or right side.
This worshiper made in wood ‘Kakoh’
protected by lacquers and paints in different layers and highlights
the ‘can kbin’ style of dress.
Perhaps a sculptor’s mistake, the central
pleat of her ‘sampot’ (skirt) passes over the scarf.
Above this point, a cavity carved into the stomach was used to keep
sacred deposits; small Buddha figures, relics or palm-leaf texts
to make the statue a sacred object .
A slightly flat nose, thick lips, joined arched eyebrows express
her beauty. Because of her typically Khmer facial expression, we
consider this a masterpiece of post-Angkorian sculpture.
Note that in Khmer classical art, the female divinities
(except in bas-reliefs) never wear the ‘sampot can kbin’
. This Tep Pranam proves the continuation of Khmer tradition for
wearing the ‘sampot can kbin’, from the pre-Angkorian
to post-Angkorian periods. During the post-Angkorian period the
sampot can kbin was used not only by men, but for both sexes.
| 
