Bakheng Style (893-925)

This period marks a very important event in the life of the Khmer Kingdom. King Yasovaraman (889-900) founds the first Angkorian capital, with Phnom Bakheng as its centre.

Religion:

Hinduism, God-King , Trimurti (Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu)

This style marks an important step in the evolution of Khmer art; sculpture appears more powerful, and detached from previous iconographical influences.

Sculpture:

Is characterized by geometrical forms and austerity, particularly in the faces, that are now idealized. The attitude of the statues becomes fixed, and the pose is strictly frontal. Carving is deeper and stylization begins. The medium increasingly is sandstone which is handled with an extraordinary precision and lightness, as dictated by the new material.

Architecture:

The "temple-mountain" becomes larger with Phnom Bakheng, built at the summit of a natural moutain.

Main Monuments:

Phnom Bakheng, Phnom Krom, Phnom Bok.