The relief of the goddess Sarasvati was discovered in 1988 at the ruins of the Chau Thanh tower in the Chau Thanh area (Nhon Thanh Ward, An Nhon Town, Binh Dinh Province; currently An Nhon Bac Ward, Gia Lai Province). The site is located approximately one kilometer as the crow flies from the Do Ban Citadel, near the hill where the Phu Loc Tower stands. In 1999, the artifact was transferred to the Binh Dinh Museum (now the Gia Lai Provincial Museum) for display.
This sculpture served as an architectural tympanum, carved as a single piece in high relief within a pointed-arch frame. It depicts the goddess Sarasvati—the patroness of arts and literature and the consort of Brahma (the Creator), one of the supreme deities of Brahmanism. The goddess is portrayed with three heads, each wearing a pointed conical crown (*kirita-mukuta*); the central head tilts slightly to the left, while the other two gaze symmetrically outward to the sides. She has a refined face with a blissful smile and wears a necklace. Her torso is slender yet full-chested, leaning slightly to the right. Four graceful arms extend from her body, adorned with bracelets and armlets, as she performs a dance in the *tribhanga* (triple-bend) posture. The two primary arms in front are held in a static pose: extending outward before bending at the elbows to form a *mudra* (ritual gesture) across her chest. The two secondary arms behind are in a dynamic pose, moving rhythmically as if to a mystical melody; the fingers are extended with tips touching, holding a rosary (right hand) and a lotus bud (left hand). The goddess wears a three-layered *sampot*: the upper two layers are adorned with downward-facing lotus petal motifs, while the bottom layer remains plain; a central *sampot* flap hangs down, shaped like a pouch with a rounded, curved base and edged with a scrolling pattern. She sits in the half-lotus position (*ardha padmasana*) upon a round lotus pedestal, encircled by two tiers of upward-pointing lotus petals.
The beauty of the Sarasvati relief lies in the harmonious blend of sculpted lines that create a form that is compact, refined, and imbued with a sense of dynamic stillness. The intricate, sophisticated detailing of her jewelry—particularly the headdress, where the lotus motif serves as a focal point—complements the contours of her body to create an image of perfect beauty. Stylistically, the decorative elements—such as the *Kirita-mukuta* headdress with its multi-tiered pointed crown and lotus petal patterns; the three-layered *sampot* featuring large, round bead strands arranged into lotus petal designs; and the pouch-like central flap with its rounded tip—are characteristic hallmarks of the Thap Mam artistic style. This sculpture is a work of immense artistic and religious significance that remains in the territory of the ancient capital of Do Ban.
