This sculpture is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Museum's website for this piece (
visit link) provides the following information:
"Guardian Deity (Rakshasa)
Period: Angkor period
Date: ca. 921–945
Culture: Cambodia
Medium: Stone
Dimensions: H. 38 3/4 in. (98.5 cm); W. 15 1/2 in. (39.3 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Doris and Harry Rubin, in memory of Ralph Konheim, 1987
Accession Number: 1987.308
On view in Gallery 249"
and Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"A Rakshasa is a demonic being from Hindu mythology. As mythology made its way into other religions, the rakshasa was later incorporated into Buddhism. Rakshasas are also called maneaters (Nri-chakshas, Kravyads). A female rakshasa is known as a Rakshasi. A female Rakshasa in human form is a Manushya-Rakshasi. The terms Asura and Rakshasa are sometimes used interchangeably.
Hindu lore
Vedic and Puranic stories
Death of Hiranyaksha, the son of Diti at the hands of Vishnu's avatar, Varaha.
It is said that Rakshasas were created from the breath of Brahma when he was asleep at the end of the Satya Yuga. As soon as they were created, they were so filled with bloodlust that they started eating Brahma himself. Brahma shouted "Rakshama!" (Sanskrit for "protect me!") and Vishnu came to his aid, banishing to Earth all Rakshasas (thus named after Brahma's cry for help).
Their literary origins can be traced to Vedic sources through Hymn 87 of the tenth mandala of the Rig Veda. Here they are classified amongst the Yatudhanas, demonic creatures who consume the flesh of the humans.
Some sources credit Kashyapa with the origin of the rakshasa, although the Hymns of the Vedas for artistic reasons fail to do so. The knowledge of the Rakshasa lineage traceable to Kashyapa may have been known at the time of the compilation of the Vedas, but lineages are altogether foreign to the style of the Vedas and thus would have appeared out of place. This might explain why the Puranans and Hindu epics elaborate on their lineage, but the Vedas do not.
Origins
Kashyapa was married to the thirteen daughters of Daksha. Among them were Aditi, Diti and Danu.
His sons with Danu are the Danavas
His sons with Diti are the Daityas
His sons with Aditi are the Adityas, who considered Devas and are also called Suras."