The Brick Reliefs of Cambodia's Phnom Trap

A CENTURY OF CONFUSION: THE BRICK RELIEFS OF CAMBODIA’S PHNOM TRAP TOWERS PHILLIP SCOTT ELLIS GREEN In mid- to late tenth-century Cambodia, when the Angkorian administrative infrastructure was beginning to expand and become more complex, Buddhist traditions had apparently become more widespread in the region, if we can judge by the increased number of references to these traditions in the Cambodian epigraphical record.1 For the first time, inscriptions from this period record the actual names of influential Bud- dhists like Kavīndrārimathana and Kīrtipaṇḍita, as well as other less influential donors. The works and activities of these Buddhists are recorded in the inscriptions and provide scholars with some insight into which aspects of these traditions were being emphasized in day-to-day practice. Despite this increased presence in the region, however, very limited examples of dedicated Buddhist structures exist in the surviving material record of the tenth century (e.g., sanctuaries, temples, monu- ments, and/or towers). My paper addresses this particular lacuna by argu- ing that the religious orientation of one particular site in Cambodia has been misidentified, and the correct identification of this site as Buddhist provides scholars with additional information that will aid in understanding Buddhist traditions in tenth-century Cambodia. Specifically, this paper reexamines the iconography present at three tenth-century towers 1 By using the term Angkorian I am broadly referencing the period beginning with the time of Jayavarman II (r. 790–c. 835), whose reign is commonly regarded as marking the transition between the pre-Angkorian period and the Angkorian period. The latter Angko- rian era continues, roughly, until the fifteenth century. For more on the changing administrative infrastructure during this period, see Vickery 1985: 228–29. For more on the increased number of Buddhist related inscriptions in tenth-century Cambodia, see Green 2014b. For an overview of Buddhist traditions in tenth-century Cambodia, see Woodward 2015. JournaloftheInternationalAssociationofBuddhistStudies Volume 40 ӝ 2017 ӝ 27–62 ӝ doi: 10.2143/JIABS.40.0.3269004 28 PHILLIP SCOTT ELLIS GREEN located in eastern Cambodia at Phnom Trap and argues that the figures depicted on the inner brick reliefs of the three towers are Buddhist, not Vaiṣṇava or Śaiva as described in early surveys of the site and never challenged. I will demonstrate conclusively that the brick reliefs thought to be depicting the deity Viṣṇu are instead reliefs of the bodhisattva Lokeśvara (i.e., Avalokiteśvara), and the one relief believed to be the deity Śiva, or some kind of wrathful ogre, is a depiction of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi. The identification of the female figures also depicted at this site presents more difficulties, but I argue that the figures were either understood simply as accompanying devīs (“goddesses”) or dual aspects of Prajñāpāramitā, the feminine personification of the “Perfection of Wisdom.” By establishing the Buddhist orientation of this site, my work demonstrates that tenth-century forms of Buddhism in Cambodia involv- ing worship of figures such as Lokeśvara and Vajrapāṇi were more widespread than previously acknowledged in various historical reconstruc- tions of the region.2 2 A few words of acknowledgment must be made before continuing. The possibility that the brick reliefs at Phnom Trap may be Buddhist is an idea that had been circulating among a few scholars in personal correspondences. The first person I know to have posited this idea was Martin Polkinghorne in his email correspondences with Hiram Woodward in early 2011. Hiram Woodward had been pondering the possibility of the area’s connec- tion with Buddhism, as indicated in Woodward 2015: 236–38 (originally a conference proceeding). At a conference in Siem Reap in 2011, I also met Eric Bourdonneau who informed me of an upcoming article in which he briefly notes the possibility of the brick reliefs being Buddhist, see Bourdonneau 2011: 135, n. 87. Bourdonneau’s paper was later published after conducting my research, and just prior to the presentation of my conclu- sions in Siem Reap during the summer of 2012 at the conference on “Religious Studies in Cambodia: Understanding the Old and Tracing the New,” Siem Reap, Cambodia, June 9–11, 2012. He was kind enough to forward me a copy on 4/6/2012. The contribution of this paper is that it puts forth, for the first time, a detailed argument to support such a Buddhist identification which has previously only been the subject of speculation by inter- ested scholars. I also wish to single out Hiram Woodward and Arlo Griffiths for special thanks. Both of these scholars contributed significant time and energy to reading over drafts of this paper, all with the aim of improving my work. Their suggestions, comments, and critiques were, and continue to be, invaluable to me. THE BRICK RELIEFS OF CAMBODIA’S PHNOM TRAP TOWERS 29 Location of Phnom Trap The towers of Phnom Trap were erected atop a steep hill (Kh. bhnam) which is located in present-day Kampong Cham province, Bantheay dis- trict.3 The site is about sixty-three kilometers (roughly forty miles) north- east of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. To this day the site remains somewhat difficult to access because of its rural and undeveloped location. Visitors must leave National Highway 7 at the market town of Paav and travel along a network of unpaved back roads before arriving at the village community of Trap. The Towers of Phnom Trap Remaining atop the hill from a bygone era are three brick towers (Kh. prasat, Skt. prāsāda) dating to the tenth century CE.4 The three structures run parallel along a north-south axis with the entrance of each opening to the east (fig. 1). A much later open-air Buddhist structure with wall paintings and housing a few Buddha images is now situated at the southern end of these three towers, and within the last couple of years an enormous standing Buddha image, far exceeding the height of the towers, was erected by individuals from the local community.5 3 As there is still no standard Romanization of Khmer, Phnom Trap has been variously rendered as Trop, Trâp, Trab, Trâb, and Tráb. The site is also known as Vat Praeus Meas. Additionally, in order to distinguish this particular site from other nearby locations, the specific location on the hill with the three brick towers is sometimes labeled Phnom Trap D. I will refer to the site as “Phnom Trap.” I am grateful to Martin Polkinghorne for providing logistical advice on Phnom Trap. I also thank Friends of Khmer Culture, Inc. for providing field research support. The abbreviations “Kh.” and “Skt.” stand for Khmer and Sanskrit, respectively. 4 Boisselier (1966: 179) devoted only a single line to Phnom Trap, but in that line he noted the site was datable to the same period as Prasat Kravan; in other words, the tenth century. 5 The modern Buddhist structure at the southern end of the three sanctuaries was built sometime after first decade of the twentieth century since Lunet de Lajonquière (1902: 122) noted that only the doorframe of a ruined structure was standing at this location at the time of his survey. Aymonier (1900: 322) noted that the fourth structure at the southern end of the three brick towers was completely ruined. It should also be noted that the pre- vious ruined structure which today’s modern structure sits atop was still posterior to the three tenth-century towers. This conclusion is based on a comparison of the lintel work of 30 PHILLIP SCOTT ELLIS GREEN Figure 1. The Three Towers of Phnom Trap. Photo courtesy of author. The three brick towers are all roughly square, and are all erected atop a laterite foundation. The center tower is larger than the north and south tower, being roughly 4 meters at the base, while the other two towers are roughly 2.8 meters. Each of the three towers is separated by a distance of 2.2 meters. As previously mentioned, the towers are made of brick, while the doorjambs, entrance steps, decorative frame colonnettes, and lintels are all made of grey sandstone. The outer sides of the three towers are embossed with false doors and doorframes. While the three towers are still standing, the structures are in a severe state of decay due to centuries of exposure and neglected maintenance. Sections of all three structures, especially the top of the center tower, have collapsed. The decorative lintel of the central tower has also top- pled; it now rests on the ground in front of the tower. Additionally, this particular lintel has also been the source of repeated acts of vandalism the one remaining doorframe with the lintels of the three towers (Lunet de Lajonquière 1902: 122). THE BRICK RELIEFS OF CAMBODIA’S PHNOM TRAP TOWERS 31 since it is now easy to chip off sections of the lintel scene for either souvenirs or use in a home shrine.6 The entrances are in a state of decay due to the elements, with some lower sections worn smooth by rainwater. Portions of the sandstone colonnettes and lintels have also broken off, but are still largely intact. The colonnettes are polygonal and banded, which is what one would expect for this period.7 Two of the three lintel scenes are still discernable and stylistically date the towers to around the middle of the tenth century.8 The lintel above the southern tower depicts the goddess Lakṣmī, specifically Gajalakṣmī, seated atop a lotus flanked by two elephants with raised trunks coming together to form an arch above the goddess.9 Sharp carved ornamental foliage decorates the rest of the lintel, including the uppermost frieze.

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