To the best of present knowledge, this statue is apparently one of the most ancient representations of Harihara, a hybrid deity who is half Vishnu (Hari)-depicted on the left hand side, with crown and disc-and half Shiva (Hara)-depicted on the right, with crescent-moon ascetic’s chignon headdress, tiger-skin robe, and trident. By the time the 7^th century Phnom Da style emerged, Khmer art had already adopted the hieratic frontality that was to become its hallmark. Such stylization was nevertheless combined with highly sensitive, soft, realistic modelling: the bust here, for instance, is reminiscent of 6^th– and 7^th century post-Gupta Indian sculpture. Works in the Phnom Da style all derived from a Vishnuite context and often display paradoxical features such as a slender torso, slightly slack belly, stylized oval face, and realistically treated hair tumbling down the figure’s back.

The supporting arc-still partially extant in the upper part of the sculpture-which linked the arms and head and originally completely encircled the divine figure, attests to the utmost care with which sculptors executed their works in the pre-Angkorian period. The god Harihara evolved from syncretic tendencies within Brahmanism and became a major deity, offering the faithful the dual protection of Vishnu and Shiva.

The period encompassed several occasionally overlapping styles; such diversity stands in contrast to the more pronounced stylistic homogeneity of subsequent Angkorian art.