My object is a handheld stone sculpture from Cambodia. It is inspired by the Bayon-style Buddha heads at Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia. Stone carving is important in Khmer culture, as it served as a primary means of artistic expression and religious devotion during the Khmer Empire. Stone carvings are commonly found in temples and usually depict. Buddha and bodhisattvas (a person who is striving towards or has achieved bodhi/vimutti —“enlightenment”). My mom believes in Buddhism and she got it sometime in 2005. She uses it for religious reverence and meditation. She believes it brings protection, peace, and good fortune. It is her first Buddhism sculpture and she displays it on the shelf above our fireplace.

– AC

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