A 3rd Lindemann Reclining Vishnu:
Clearly, the billionaire couple George and Frayda Lindemann had a penchant for collecting Khmer sculptures of the god Vishnu, whether standalone stone or bronze statues or Vishnu Anantasayin, or more commonly known as Reclining Vishnu. Their Palm Beach, Florida mansion was literally awash with them. Amongst the ten Vishnu sculptures, of the total of 33 pieces which the family voluntarily handed over to USA authorities, were three stone versions of Vishnu Anantasayin. Only one of them has yet to be seen in the public display at the National Museum, so that’s the focus of this post. The other two are already on show, a third is still kept in the museum’s reserve section, away from prying eyes. However, we do have a picture of the lintel, taken by US Homeland Security and included in the agreement with the Lindemann family, listing the 33 ‘Returnable Antiquities’ as part of a formal Notice of Abandonment in which the family agreed to relinquish all claims, rights, title, and interests in the artifacts. In return the Southern District of New York of the US Department of Justice agreed not to criminally prosecute, nor bring any civil claim, against any member of the Lindemanns arising from the purchase, receipt, possession, sale, transfer, transmission, or transportation of the Returnable Antiquities. A quid pro quo if you like. Lindemann senior, a gas and oil executive, died in 2018 aged 82. He and his wife, Frayda, were major forces in the art world as collectors and donors to museums such as the Met Museum in New York. Photographs of the Lindemann’s home showing many of the Khmer treasures in-situ, appeared in editions of Architectural Digest magazine, which eventually enabled investigators to get the USA authorities involved. The series of exceptional Khmer artworks were sold to the family by none other than Douglas Latchford, the disgraced dealer-cum-smuggler. Latchford ran an international trafficking network from his headquarters in Bangkok for more than fifty years, arranging for looted artifacts from remote temples in Cambodia and northeast Thailand to be illegally distributed across the globe to collectors, museums and art galleries. Lindemann senior purchased his collection over several decades from Latchford and is believed to have paid at least USD20 million for them.
The lintel’s narrative displays the deeply significant creation myth from Hindu mythology, with the birth of the god Brahma, on a lotus pedestal rising from the navel of the reclining Vishnu, who is outstretched on his right side, on top of the body of the multi-headed Naga-serpent Ananta, who represents the cosmic ocean. It’s a busy scene with no less than 15 individuals and animals filling the picture. Let’s start with the central character of Vishnu, who is known as Narayana in this instance, who has four arms, one of which supports his head. The picture isn’t clear enough, but his pendant earrings stand out, as does the overhanging flap of his sampot. In one hand he holds the stalk of a lotus flower, which is also held by his wife Lakshmi, who is dressed as befits her station and is massaging his legs. Two ladies-in-waiting are sat next to her. At the far end of the lintel are two standing characters seeking to control what looks like a horse. The upper level, also indistinct in the picture, has a dancing-style deity clinging to the stalk of a lotus pedestal that could’ve once hosted Brahma. On either side of a Garuda figure in the center are six other unclear figures, though they appear to include an elephant, a hamsa bird and other creatures. A fascinating lintel which I can’t wait to see in person, and date-wise it may be around the 10-11th century though its original temple home remains unknown.Credit By :Andy Brouwer