Images of Sūrya from Mainland Southeast Asia

• Published in: Materializing Southeast Asia's Past p. 122
• Main Author: Marion Frenger
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore NUS Press 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropology; Applied anthropology; Applied sciences; Archaeology; Art theory; Arts; Behavioral sciences; Biological sciences; Biology; Bodies of water; Business; Chariots; Clothing accessories; Clothing industry; Consumer goods industries; Cultural anthropology; Cultural institutions; Deities; Earth sciences; Engineering; Geography; Geomorphology; Girdles; Ground transportation; Ground vehicles; Horse drawn vehicles; Horses; Iconography; Industrial sectors; Industry; Jewelry; Lingerie; Mammals; Manufacturing industries; Material culture; Museums; National museums; Natural theology; Necklaces; Physical sciences; Plastic arts; Religion; Sculpture; Seas; Social sciences; Stelae; Theism; Theology; Transportation; Transportation modes; Under garments; Ungulates; Visual arts; Zoology
• ISBN: 997169655X; 9789971696559

Among the images of Brahmanical gods found in mainland Southeast Asia there is a certain number of sculptures showing the sun god normally called Sūrya or Āditya in Sanskrit literary sources.¹ Many of these depictions are part of larger compositions or groups of deities such as the so-callednavadevatās, but the earlier examples are large images probably meant to be worshipped in a temple or similar sacred place. This paper will investigate the iconographic developments that Sūrya images in Southeast Asia underwent over time. As is the case with most other Brahmanical sculptures from Southeast Asia the identification of the