Leper King Terrace, inner bas reliefs of nagas and devatas

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Information about the creation of the object depicted in the image: 13th century

Information about the restoration of the object depicted in the image: 1992-1996

The Leper King Terrace is named after the seated statue found on the top of the terrace, which may be either Yama, the god of the death, or the so-called Leper King. It is possible that the statue was given the name of the Leper King because of the lichen growths and corrosion on its surface, and its association with the legend that one of Angkor’s kings suffered from leprosy. The original statue is now in the National Museum of Phnom Penh, and a cement copy has been substituted. It has been speculated that the platform of the terrace may have been reserved for royal cremations, which would support the attribution of the statue as Yama, the god of death. The sides of the terrace project into the Royal Square, and the three outer faces are carved with deep reliefs depicting palace figures, Apsaras, devas, nagas, and mythological creatures.

Source for information about the object depicted in the image: Jessup, Helen Ibbitson. Art and Architecture of Cambodia. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004. Freeman M. and C. Jacques. Ancient Angkor. London: Thames and Hudson, 1999.

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