Faces and Tower 15 revealed

The west face of tower 15 at Banteay Chhmar and the profile of the south face (right of the photo)

In the first central enclosure at Banteay Chhmar there are three face towers still in place, and tower 15 is one of these. It has three faces still in situ, with their trademark enigmatic smile and closed eyelids in place. There is no definitive conclusion on who these faces represent. They have been attributed to Brahma, Siva, Avalokitesvara and Buddha as well as the great builder Jayavarman VII himself, or to the mixed traits of all or some of the former. The question remains open still today. The faces themselves appeared during the Bayon period of temple construction, between 1177-1230, and more precisely the latter half of that period. They can be found at Angkor of course, at the Bayon, Angkor Thom entrance gates, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Ta Som. They also appear in the provincial setting of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, and here at Banteay Chhmar. For me they have always been one of the most fascinating aspects of Khmer sculpture.

Half profile of the south face of tower 15 at Banteay Chhmar

The smiling south face of tower 15

The east face of tower 15 and profile of the south face (to left of photo)

A crooked smile for the east face of tower 15