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Royal Government of Cambodia

REPORT ON THE RESTITUTION OF THE HANUMAN STATUE IN

MAY 2015

May 2015 Prepared by Charlotte PELESZEZAK and Zoe CASELLI Interns at UNESCO Phnom Penh Office

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I. The battle between Valin and Sugriva in the Ramayana epic

In the Ramayana epic, the encounter between Rama and Hanuman occurs during Rama’s quest

to rescue his wife, Sita.

Rama, accompanied by his younger brother Laksmana, meets Hanuman, counsellor of Sugriva.

Hanuman sets the basis for the alliance between Rama and Sugriva. Rama has to help Sugriva to

defeat his brother Valin and, in exchange, Sugriva will help him to find his wife.

During the fight between Valin and Sugriva, Hanuman puts a crown of flowers around Sugriva’s

chest so that Rama can distinguish him from his brother. Then Rama shoots Valin with his bow

and arrow, and kills him. As Rama kept his promise, Sugriva helps Rama to rescue Sita, sending

Hanuman to find her.

The five statues that used to stand in the Eastern tower of the Prasat Chen temple represent

the moment of the battle between the two monkey brothers in the presence of Hanuman,

Rama and Laksmana.

Hanuman painted by Pahari Painter

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II. The discovery of the three pedestals in the Eastern tower of Prasat Chen

Following the discovery in 2012 in the Western tower of Prasat Chen of the grouping of statues

pedestals illustrating the battle between Duryodhana and Bhima, Eric Bourdoneau decided to

conduct further researches on the Eastern tower.

In fact, in 1952, the explorer Jean Boisselier found a monumental sculpture inside the Eastern

tower of the Prasat Chen temple: it was the statue of Valin and Sugriva. It took two years to

Boisselier to transport it to the National Museum in Phnom Penh and, since that time, no other

excavation had taken place inside this tower.

The Eastern tower of Prasat Chen

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Considering that eventually nine pedestals in total were discovered inside the Western tower,

Bourdoneau decided to check if the two monkeys statue found by Boisselier more than 60 years

before was really the only sculpture that used to stand inside the Eastern tower.

His team confirmed that, in the Ramayana, in effect are represented five characters that were

part of the epic battle: the two monkeys brothers Valin and Sugriva but also Rama, Laksmana

and Hanuman.

The Eastern pediment of the Western Gopura II from another temple, Banteay Srei, at the

World Heritage Site of Angkor, was also a very relevant point of comparison in the analysis. The

battle scene between Valin and Sugriva is illustrated in this sculpture as well, and the high relief

actually depicts all the five characters.

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In July 2014, an excavation in the Eastern tower of Prasat Chen was organized by the Ecole

Francaise d’Extreme Orient (EFEO) and the APSARA National Authority. They discovered, as

they expected, three pedestals along the Southern wall, with the surface of each pedestal

showing traces of looting.

The Eastern pediment of the Western Gopura II from Banteay Srei

The three pedestals found in July 2014

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The team unearthed two pedestals of kneeling figures cut coarsely at the level of the feet and

one central pedestal of a standing figure broken at the level of the ankles.

The EFEO-APSARA team concluded that three statues were still missing: Rama, Laksmana and

Hanuman.

In the book “Adoration and Glory, The Golden Age of Khmer Art” published by Emma C. Bunker

and Douglas Latchford, the team identified two statues consistent with the description of the

missing Rama and Hanuman.

The Rama statue from the book is located in the Denver Art Museum and it is likely to be the

missing statue from the Eastern tower of Prasat Chen. However no official negotiations have

been undertaken yet.

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The kneeling monkey statue, consistent with the description of Hanuman, was situated in the

Cleveland Museum of Art. It was described in the book as being “uniquely characteristic of

guardian figures sculpted in the Koh Ker period”.

Thanks to a digital comparison, the team confirmed that the breakage profiles, proportions and

dimensions of the Cleveland Hanuman statue were fitting perfectly with the pedestal found in

the Eastern tower in Prasat Chen.

The digital comparison between the pedestal and the Cleveland Hanuman statue

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III. The return of the Hanuman statue

As a result of the research work of the EFEO and APSARA, the Royal Government of Cambodia

decided to enter in discussion with the Cleveland Museum of Art. After negotiations, an

agreement was reached and the Hanuman statue was returned to the Government of

Cambodia on 10 May 2015.

Rama and Hanuman in the Eastern tower - Reconstitution from the EFEO