Prajnaparamita Bodhisattva

CAMBODIA

Prajnaparamita wears a unique crown with a finial of flower discs topped by a lotus bud. Beneath the prominent joined eyebrows, the almond-shaped eyes are uncommon in Bayon statues. The bare upper body is adorned with jewelry that, like the crown, was once inlaid with gems. Unlike the traditional clothing of women during this period, the Bodhisattva wears a short, knee-length skirt with an overhang of material that is tucked at the waist.
Although not visible from the front, her small hands hold a lotus bud in the left and a damaged sutra scroll in the right. The presence of the sutra scroll allows identification of the statue as Prajna (wisdom), “the mother of the Buddhas.”