A Sacred Pilaster Returns Home

My specialty is Hindu-Buddhist art and archeology of early Southeast Asia, with a research focus on Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. In my studies at the museum, I came upon a Khmer pilaster from the 12th century that immediately piqued my interest.

A pilaster is a rectangular column found on the exterior walls of temples, often adorned with decorative elements. The pilaster in question, and shown in the image above, depicts the Hindu god Krishna, avatar of Vishnu, lifting Mount Govardhana. It had originally adorned the entrance to a temple from the ancient Khmer civilization, which is known for its impressive temples and sculptures. Previously, this Krishna pilaster was believed to have originated from the ancient capital of Angkor in present-day Cambodia.

However, the Khmer region of the kingdom of Angkor extended well beyond the modern borders of Cambodia, encompassing areas within present-day Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, and as I immersed myself in the pilaster’s intricate style and iconography, subtle nuances emerged that challenged its presumed Cambodian origin. The detailed motifs and structural elements of the Krishna pilaster suggested a closer affinity with Khmer art found in northeast Thailand, renowned for its historical sites like Phimai and Phanom Rung.

Phanom Rung, in northeast Thailand

Before reconstruction of the temple began in 1971, the passage of time had reduced it to a heap of stones.

This affinity gained credence as I uncovered a compelling link between the Krishna pilaster and another significant Khmer artifact that had once been part of the Art Institute collection—another decorative stone piece, a lintel depicting Vishnu. This lintel, a magnificent piece that today is prominently displayed above the main sanctuary entrance of the Phanom Rung temple in Buriram province, had been repatriated by the Art Institute to Thailand in November 1988.

Vishnu Lintel

With all of this evidence, I quickly came to realize that the Krishna pilaster likely belonged to the same architectural ensemble at the Phanom Rung temple. Extensive archival research and library studies led me to a missing pilaster base at the temple’s main sanctuary eastern entrance.

A digital reconstruction of the pilaster with the temple’s missing stone aligned seamlessly.

digital reconstruction

In December 2023, I reached a pivotal moment with a site visit to the Phanom Rung temple. The ancient stones provided compelling visual and tactile confirmation: the intricate floral scrollwork, featuring the unique appearance of the flying hamsa, a mythical and symbolic goose, within the leaf pattern; the narrative scenes depicting Lord Krishna’s miracles; and the distinctive reddish sandstone indigenous to northeast Thailand. These all matched the Art Institute pilaster in striking detail.

Comparing Pilasters

Note the similarities between the existing pilaster fragment at Phanom Rung and the top half of the Art Institute’s pilaster fragment.

Moreover, the dimensions and orientation of our artifact perfectly aligned with the architectural remnants at the site, which made sense as it turned out that both the pilaster and the lintel had been purchased in January 1966 in Bangkok by a New York–based art dealer. The dealer had subsequently sold them to James Alsdorf, a prominent Chicago-based collector who served as a long-time patron and trustee of the Art Institute. The pilaster came directly to the museum in February 1966, initially as a long-term loan.

Equipped with overwhelming evidence of the Krishna pilaster’s original location at Phanom Rung, it was clear that it should follow the path taken by the lintel and be reunited with its original structure. So after a thorough internal review involving all relevant parties and stakeholders, and following confirmation of the Thai government’s interest in the return, the board of trustees at the Art Institute of Chicago approved its repatriation in June 2024.

The return of this ancient and sacred artifact to the people of Thailand demonstrates how provenance and proactive research can make a profoundly meaningful impact, rectifying historical misattributions and fostering a mutual respect for cultural heritage and understanding across borders.

—Nicolas Revire, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Postdoctoral Fellow, Arts of Asia and Curatorial Documentation and Research

Provenance Statement

Phanom Rung, Buriram province, Thailand. Acquired in Bangkok by Jerome Eisenberg, Royal-Athena Galleries, New York City, Jan. 14, 1966 [letter from Eisenberg to the Alsdorf Foundation, Apr. 25, 1988; copy in curatorial object file]; sold to the Alsdorf Foundation, Chicago, Feb. 18, 1966 [invoice from Eisenberg, Feb. 7, 1966, and receipt from James Alsdorf, Feb. 18, 1966; copies in curatorial object file]; on long-term loan at the Art Institute of Chicago, Mar. 11, 1966; by descent to Marilynn B. Alsdorf, Chicago, 1990 [publicly promised as a gift to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1997; signed a promised gift agreement for the work, 2002]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2017.

Exhibition History

Art Institute of Chicago, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Aug. 2–Oct. 26, 1997, cat. 48.

Publication History

Jerome M. Eisenberg, “The Art of the Ancient World,” Catalog of the Royal-Athena Galleries Vol. 1, no. 44 (Dec. 1965; backdated): 82–83, cat. 132.

Pratapaditya Pal with contributions by Stephen Little, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection (Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Thames and Hudson, 1997), 47 (ill.), 283, cat. 48.

Visit the collection page of the deaccessioned pilaster and read the press release from June 2024.

Topics

• Collection
• Museum History
• Arts of Asia
• Provenance Stories