The Iconography of Hunchback Figures in Khmer Art

PHOEUNG Dara

Hunchback figures occupy a distinctive yet understudied place in Khmer art. Found in temples dating

from the tenth to the early thirteenth century, particularly during the Bayon period under King Jayavarman VII, these sculptures commonly appear within royal or divine entourages. They are typically depicted kneeling on one knee, described as ‘in the Javanese manner,’ and are characterised by pronounced spinal deformation, often with two humps—one projecting forward and one backward. In many examples, such as those from Bayon, Preah Khan, and Phnom Krom, the figure holds a jeweler’s balance scale in the right hand and a rounded object in the left. Scholars have proposed various identifications, including Kātyāyana, the Buddhist disciple, and Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth. However, these interpretations remain inconclusive. The ambiguity reflects the complex interaction between Buddhist and Hindu traditions in Angkorian art, where Yakṣas, the gana of Śiva, and protective spirits frequently overlap in form and meaning. Rather than representing a purely grotesque or marginal being, the hunchback may have symbolized auspiciousness, prosperity, and ritual protection. Early scholarship, notably by Louis Malleret, carefully distinguished between dwarfs and true hunchbacks based on anatomical features, emphasizing deliberate sculptural realism. Comparative evidence from India and mainland Southeast Asia further situates the Khmer hunchback within a broader transregional network while allowing for local adaptation. Ultimately, the figure emerges as a liminal and symbolically powerful presence within Khmer sacred architecture.