Brahma at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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Brahma, the Brahmanical god of creation and ancestor of all universes, is widely regarded as omnipresent. As such, he is often depicted with four faces and four arms, emphasizing his universal presence. Brahma's distinctive sampot skirt-cloth is characteristic of the Bakheng style, a popular design in the early tenth century named after sculptures associated with the Bakheng temple. This knee-length garment is drawn up between the legs and secured at the back, featuring a distinctive pleated "double anchor" or "fishtail" pendant in front. Brahma's piled-up dreadlock hair (jatamukuta) is multifaceted to reflect the four faces it serves, secured with a string of pearls; each face wears a large diadem, and a speckled treatment on the lower face indicates that he is bearded. This sculpture likely occupied a subsidiary shrine in a temple complex dedicated to Shiva, originating from Cambodia during the Bakheng style period of the Angkor era, which dates back to the first quarter of the 10th century. Crafted from sandstone, this object forms part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory. Scan The World aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access at no cost. This open-source community effort invites contributors to email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how they can participate in this project.