Cambodia, probably Angkor / 1175–1230
Palanquin Hook
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Palanquin Hook as sculpture (Cambodia, probably Angkor · 1175–1230).
In the middle of the hook, a figure holding a sword in one hand and his extended leg in the other is in a dance pose expressing vigorous attack.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze.
The museum's collection notes: When members of the royal family or priesthood traveled in a public festival procession or to a temple to make offerings or participate in a ceremony, they would be carried in a palanquin, or a covered litter. Portable objects of veneration, such as bronze images or a sacred fire, were also carried on palanquins. The palanquins had wooden poles, hanging seats or raised platforms, and bronze fittings cast in intricate forms and gilt, lending the palanquins a sumptuous quality. This hook once supported a bronze ring from which hung a seat, like a hammock or swing. A wooden pole would have passed through the hollow socket at the top and was carr
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtPalanquin HookOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.