Relief sculpture depicting the birth of Brahma at My Son E1

The Brahma Birth Relief of My Son E1, currently housed at the Da Nang Cham Sculpture Museum, was recognized as a National Treasure by Decision No. 73/QD-TTg dated January 18, 2024, of the Prime Minister.

- Material: Sandstone

- Period: 7th - 8th centuries.

- Value:

The Brahma Birth Relief of My Son E1 is an original, unique artifact currently on display in the My Son room of the Cham Sculpture Museum in Da Nang . This decorative carving, found on the archway of the E1 tower in My Son by Henri Parmentier and his colleagues during excavations in 1903-1904, was brought to the museum in 1935.

In terms of sculpture and architecture, Cham towers were built primarily of brick and a small amount of stone, mainly for the pillars, steps, and lintels. The lintels, in particular, were chosen for carving important themes. This artifact is a typical lintel that is both highly artistic and depicts the birth of the principal deity of Hinduism – Brahma, the beginning of the universe according to Indian mythology. Most Champa sculptures depict Shiva, with only a few showing Vishnu and Brahma in reliefs in a seated position, or in round statues riding on mythical creatures, holding symbolic objects. This is the only work found at My Son that depicts the mythological theme of Vishnu meditating, floating on the cosmic sea, with a lotus flower rising from his navel and Brahma seated above, beginning the work of creation. Other works on the same theme have been found in Phu Tho and Quang Ngai; however, the depiction of the god Brahma in these works has been lost, and the details and lines of the sculptures are somewhat faded, lacking the sharpness, subtlety, and full symbolic meaning of the work at the E1 tower in My Son.

The Brahma Birth Relief at My Son E1, housed in the Cham Sculpture Museum, is a valuable artifact, beautifully carved, balanced, harmonious, and with a unique form rarely seen in Champa culture and art. It serves as important evidence of the early introduction of Hinduism into the Champa Kingdom in general and Champa culture in particular during the 7th-8th centuries.

In terms of subject matter, this artifact depicts a very classic story in Indian culture: the story of Brahma being born from the navel of Vishnu, while Vishnu was floating on the cosmic ocean, known in Sanskrit as Anantasayana Visnu . In Cambodia, a large number of reliefs depicting this theme, dating from the 7th-8th centuries, belonging to the Pre-Angkor period, have been discovered. This My Son E1 Brahma Birth relief is evidence of very early and strong contact between Indian culture and Champa culture, as well as between Champa and other ancient Southeast Asian polities.

This is a complete, beautiful, and solemn religious sculpture, carved with compact relief and primarily symmetrical. The overall carving is beautiful, the details are refined, and the depth and proportions are well-balanced, highlighting the decorative theme. Found at the same site as other artifacts such as the My Son E1 altar, the door pillars, and the standing Ganesha statue of tower E5, researchers unanimously classify this work as belonging to the My Son E1 style, dating from approximately the 7th-8th centuries. The similarity in sculptural themes, and a comparison of some details of the Brahma Birth Relief of My Son E1 with sculptures of the Dvaravati art of Thailand and Pre-Angkor art of Cambodia, also allows us to determine that this work dates from the 7th-8th centuries.

Source: https://dsvh.gov.vn/phu-dieu-dan-sinh-brahma-my-son-e1-22157