Medieval Khmer Question...ears...

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

I am assuming this is the correct section to be posting this as the time period is approx. 800-1200AD?

As you may or may not know I have commissioned some Khmer galleys and war canoes based upon the drawings in the Armies of Angkor book from Orchid Press. These are for my fantasy India/SE Asia setting I've been calling "the Garden of Kama", but while intended for "fantasy" I am trying for a strong historical look with fantasy elements added.

The book is generally pretty good about describing the costumes worn, including the hairstyles but - unless I've just missed it - the author does not describe their ears. From the illustrations - which are simplistic copies of the sculptures in the temples - the Khmer fashion was to create large holes in the ears giving an elongated lobe. The drawings do not appear to show any earrings, though.

The Foundry book on South-East Asia mentions this practice (during a later period) for various peoples in the region, stating that they used to hold their "cheruts" there or stick flowers through them and various other sticks and ornaments. I suspect that the smoking was a later fashion but think they might have plug earrings of some sort, or sprigs of flowers, etc as described.

Does anyone know? The fact that not a single drawing shows it seems to suggest not - or maybe, "not for war"?

I am currently working on instructions for the sculptor regarding the "fighting crews" for the boats. The idea is to do basic figures in loincloths and then get variants made from the masters with a few of the various jacket styles.

One set of variant will be for their adversaries, the Cham.

I will also be getting Amazon factions done - as one of the aforementioned "fantasy" elements. 

[Poiter50]

What scale have you commissioned the figures in? 

[WuZhuiQiu]

Have any objects resembling ear plugs been found in a Khmer archaeological context? Of course, their absence would not necessarily mean that they did not exist, since they might have been made of some perishable material.

Regardless, have any Khmer bronze or ceramic objects with figurative designs on them been found, or is stone sculpture all that has been discovered?

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

Don't know. I've been trying to think of the correct search terms to find things online. No success so far. "Khmer" gets you to Angkor Wat or Khmer Rouge mostly.

The book references the carvings at 2-3 temple complexes which show the Khmer army during an apparent march past and in battle. Some of the images are deemed more historically accurate and some are deemed to show mythological heroes and events. All the drawings seem to show the elongated ears.

As I said, the Foundry Indochina book mentions this sort of fashion for a number of peoples but that book covers a later period.

Scale-wise: 28mm (base to eye) is the figure scale.

I will be posting updates to my blog:

http://lohwand.blogspot.ca/

Regards,

Howard

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

I commissioned the basic figures for this yesterday: galley oarsmen, rowers for the canoe and a steersmen, plus some fighting crew. Also female versions of same for my Amazon factions. Basic masters will be modified to give a selection of costumes for the Khmer, the Cham (their main adversary) andto differentiate the Aoan and Ologogi Amazon tribes. Sacle = 28mm (to eye).

[Andrew May]

No matter the culture, ear lobe stretching is generally performed by gradually (months/years) inserting progressively larger gauge jewellery/tapers/plugs. Once a reasonable stretch is achieved (beyond a "point of no return") the ear lobes are often allowed to "hang free" or decorative weighted jewellery is hung from them (stretching them further), although I presume they would be removed for battle.
It's worth noting that in SE Asia having long earlobes is considered a sign in prosperity, Buddha was said to have worn weighted ear jewellery as a layman before removing them as a holy man.


Sorry, I couldn't find many images of the ears, sans-jewellery.

[starkadder]

Is this of any help? It's a 12th Century Khmer image of Vishnu. You may have to compromise on the number of major limbs. He would have been handy in a galley, though.


Do Burmese galleys as well, please. The War Duck is really impressive.

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

Thanks!

re. War Duck, do you mean this thing?

http://www.hubert-herald.nl/MyanmarStates_bestanden/image092.jpg

[starkadder]

Yep.

The Burmese thought of ducks and other water fowl as fightin' animals and used them heavily in their symbology.

It's too late for me to go searching but I'll dig up a few images from barges that are still in existence and post the later.

They used them against the British (in the 19thC) who must have wondered if they were being attacked by huge and aggressive bath-tub toys.

They are truly spectacular.

[Shipka]

Are there any pictures of the Khmer you commissioned?

[Shipka]

Men dressed in outfit of knmer

[zebcook]

Do a Google image search on "khmer sculpture ancient" or "khmer sculpture 1200 AD". That will bring up multiple examples of busts and reliefs that clearly show ear jewelry.

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

Men dressed in outfit of knmer

Those are for a much later period than I am doing.  The Khmer of my period wear loincloths, sometimes with short, or long, jackets of a couple of styles. Per the "Armies of Angkor" book which is an analysis of the martial sculptures on the various temple and palace walls.

But that middle guy might have an ear plug. It's hard to tell.

[FierceKitty]

We're about to cremate our last one. There'll be a few red eyes again when that happens.